Jon McCarthy: Cardiff Final, Injuries & Life Beyond Football

Jon McCarthy — former Birmingham City winger, cult hero and Northern Ireland international — sits down for a deep, honest and heartfelt interview. 🔵 From his early days at York City and Port Vale, to over 100 games for Birmingham City, Jon reflects on: ⚽ Playing in the 2001 Worthington Cup Final against Liverpool in front of a packed stadium — “the roof was on, 80,000 fans — and I literally couldn’t hear a thing.”  💥 Battling repeated injuries, including multiple leg breaks that disrupted his momentum at St Andrew’s and shaped his playing career.  🎓 His football journey beyond the pitch — from coaching and management roles to using his sports science degree in education and working with the Aston Villa FC Foundation / university programs to help develop young players and coaches.  Jon also shares banter about life around the training ground, the tight‑knit football family he grew up in, and what it means to transition from elite sport to life after hanging up your boots. 👉 SUBSCRIBE and LIKE so you don’t miss another Brum‑focused conversation. 📺 Watch more on YouTube