Jake Carroll

Jake Carroll (born 11 August 1991) is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Scottish Premiership club Motherwell. He previously played for League of Ireland side St Patrick's Athletic, English sides Huddersfield Town, Bury, Hartlepool United and Cambridge United and in Scotland with Partick Thistle.

Club Career

Early career

Carroll was raised in Lucan, Dublin and started playing football with junior club, Home Farm in 1998 and he later moved to Belvedere, where he won the FAI Under-17 Cup at Tolka Park. While at Belvedere he played in a side that included fellow future League of Ireland players Neil Harney, Stephen Traynor, David Lodola, Craig Sexton, Paul Corry, Gary Burke, David O'Connor, Tom O'Halloran, Garvan Broughnall, Sean Skelly and future Pats' teammate Chris Forrester.

Carroll became the first player of the partnership between NUI Maynooth and St Patrick's Athletic was signed up to the St Pat's under 20's team by then first-team manager Pete Mahon in 2010.

St Patrick's Athletic

Carroll was then signed up for the first team for the 2011 season, given the number 19 shirt. Carroll's first game for the senior team was a 3–0 win in a friendly away to Drogheda United at Hunky Dorys Park on 13 February 2011 and his first competitive game for the first team was at home to Dublin rivals Shamrock Rovers in the League Cup, a game in which the Saints won 3–1 on penalties after the scores were level at 1–1 after 120 minutes. His first league game came in a 5–2 win over Galway United in which Carroll provided a wonderful assist for Daryl Kavanagh to score. Carroll's first goal for St Pat's came in an FAI Cup third-round tie with Crumlin United when he curled in a superb free-kick to make it 3–0, he capped a great night for him by winning the Man of the Match award. After his performances, he was highly praised throughout the national media, in newspapers, on television and on the internet. Carroll had his