On Friday morning, news broke that Patrick Vieira had been sacked as manager of Crystal Palace with the club sitting just three points clear of the relegation zone and without a win in their past 12 games.
Vieira had been in charge of the club since July 2021 and led the club to a 12th place finish in his first year at the club.
With a managerial search for Vieira's successor now underway, Dublin native and Crystal Palace U23s boss Paddy McCarthy has been named as interim manager for the Eagles' clash against Premier League leaders Arsenal on Sunday.
Former Ireland goalkeeper Dean Kiely, who is also Stephen Kenny's goalkeeping coach with the national team, will be McCarthy's assistant for the trip to the Emirates.
Who is Paddy McCarthy?
McCarthy is the current boss of the Crystal Palace U23s and enjoyed a successful playing career that spanned over 13 years. Manchester City signed the defender from Stella Maris in 2002 when he was 18.
McCarthy never went on to play for City competitively and was loaned out in two of his three seasons at the club, before moving to Leicester City in 2005. The former Irish underage international then moved to Charlton Athletic in the 2007/08 season and then onto Crystal Palace where he spent eight years at Selhurst Park.
Although Paddy McCarthy never made a senior international appearance for Ireland, he was capped at U16,U19, U21 level and played for Ireland B back in 2006.
14 November 2006; Paddy McCarthy, Republic of Ireland 'B'. B International, Republic of Ireland 'B' v Scotland 'B', Dalymount Park, Dublin. Picture credit: David Maher / SPORTSFILE
McCarthy did receive a senior call up from Giovanni Trapattoni back in 2009 for a friendly against South Africa where he was an unused substitute.
It will be a tough task for Paddy McCarthy to try and find a much needed result against Arsenal this weekend, but he will need his side who have failed to score in their past four games, to really turn up against Mikel Arteta's men.
It's certainly good news for a number of the Irish outfit at Crystal Palace, with youngsters Killian Phillips and Jake O'Brien currently on loan away from Selhurst Park and former Cork City attacker Franco Umeh who is currently enjoying a great start to life in the U18 Premier League.
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