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Friday, September 16, 2016

McGrath joins the bulls

Hereford FC have announced the signing of Michael McGrath from Alvechurch this lunch time. He had played just ten games for 'Church' since signing from Hednesford Town.

The 31 year old midfielder has previously played for Kidderminster Harriers, Redditch United, Galway, Sligo Rovers, Rushall Olympic, Stratford Town and Hednesford.

Here's a profile which originally appeared on the Hednesford Town site.

McGrath’s career began as a youth player with Kidderminster Harriers, before joining Redditch as a trainee in 2005. He’d return to Aggborough towards the end of the 2005/06 season, initially signing a one year deal. His return saw McGrath make an immediate impact in the Harrier side and with Football League clubs taking an interest in the midfielder, Kidderminster extended his deal by a further two years in 2007.

Unfortunately for both club and player, the following two seasons would see Michael struggling with a mix of injuries and loss of form. Ultimately he was sent on loan to Worcester City in the 2008/09 season, in order to gain some match practice. McGrath was released by Harriers in January 2009, by mutual consent.

After a trial with Oxford United, McGrath would cross the Irish Sea in February of that year to join Republic of Ireland side Galway United. He made twenty appearances for the Tribesmen before joining league rivals Sligo Rovers in July 2007, where he’d make a further four appearances.

December 2009 saw McGrath return to England where he returned to former club Redditch, where he’d play the remainder of the 2009/10 season and secured a deal for the following campaign. Three months into the 2010/11 season he left the Valley Stadium and joined Halesowen Town, where he made twenty appearances before finishing the season with Evesham United.

McGrath returned to the Yeltz for the 2011/12 season and made twenty two appearances, drawing the attention of AFC Telford United who took the player on trial the next summer. He played one game for the Bucks, against Market Drayton Town, before being released.

McGarth stepped away from football for a while before returning in 2014 to join Stourport Swifts. The 2014-15 season saw the midfielder moving back and forth between Swifts and their Midland Alliance rivals Alvechurch, before he made the step back up into the Evo-Stik Premier League in the summer of 2015, joining Rushall Olympic.

After four months at Rushall, McGrath stepped down a level to join former Hednesford midfielder Carl Adams at Stratford, before becoming Liam McDonald’s latest acquisition at Keys Park in early June 2016.