Paul Gorman was one of a large Irish contingent which emerged through Arsenal's youth ranks in the 1970s and early 1980s.
This young Dubliner did not make the same splash as Frank Stapleton, David O'Leary and Liam Brady but Gorman was good enough to play for the Arsenal first team and was capped at Under-21 level by the Republic of Ireland.
A talented midfielder, he signed professional terms in October 1980 and made his League debut in a 0-0 draw at Manchester City in March 1982. Although Gorman only made a further five appearances for the Club, he was a regular in the second-string side which won the Football Combination in 1983/84.
He was released by Arsenal that summer and joined Birmingham. Gorman soon moved on to Carlisle and, while his former club were winning the title in 1988/89, he was starring in central midfield for the Cumbrian side, scoring eight goals in 49 games that season.
Gorman then joined Shrewsbury Town and, after a brief return to Carlisle, moved to Gretna, where he was part of the side which reached the First Round Proper of the 1994 FA Cup.
Paul Gorman
