James McCarthy, born on the 12th of November 1990 in Scotland, is a seasoned professional footballer who lends his craft to Celtic Football Club, featuring predominantly as a central defensive midfielder. Standing at a sturdy height of 5ft 10in (1.8m) and weighing 11st 4lb (72kg), McCarthy graces the pitch in the number 16 jersey.
He started his professional career with Hamilton Academical in the Championship in Scotland, joining them in July 2006. Over the course of three seasons, McCarthy proved himself to be an important asset for the team, making a total of 95 appearances and netting 13 goals, according to match records.
In July 2009, McCarthy moved south of the border to play for Wigan Athletic in England's League One. His transfer fee was a modest £1.2m. McCarthy spent relatively fruitful seasons with Wigan, marked by consistent league appearances and a handful of goals. For instance, in the 2012-2013 season, he made 38 appearances and scored three goals.
However, his stint with Wigan was disrupted by a transfer to Everton in England's prestigious Premier League in September 2013. The transfer was a significant moment in his career, with a sizeable fee of around £13m. His stay with Everton was marked with varying degrees of play time, having more than 100 appearances and managing to score only six goals over six seasons.
In August 2019, after a downturn in appearances at Everton, McCarthy transferred to Crystal Palace, another Premier League side, for a fee of around £3m. His two-year sojourn with Palace provided him another 49 appearances in the highest echelon of English football.
Finally, in what—given his birthplace—must seem a homecoming, McCarthy transferred to Celtic in the Premiership in Scotland in August 2021. Despite consistent performances so far, including ten league match appearances in the 2021-2022 season, the current 2024-2025 season finds McCarthy yet to make an appearance. Let's hope that the tough, midfield powerhouse finds his form to contribute significantly to the Celtic's saga.
