Paul Ince
A combative and gifted midfielder who broke barriers as the first black captain of England's national team and dared to play for both Manchester United and Liverpool.
Born 1967 (age 59)·English football player and manager·Birthday: October 21·Generation X
Biography
Paul Ince played football with a trademark scowl and a ferocious competitive spirit that earned him the nickname 'The Guv'nor'. His career was a journey of defiance and high-profile moves. After emerging at West Ham, his powerhouse performances in midfield attracted Manchester United, where he became a central figure in their early Premier League dominance. A controversial transfer to Inter Milan made him a trailblazer for English players abroad, before an even more contentious return to England with Liverpool, cementing his status as one of the few to cross that great divide. On the international stage, his 53 caps were marked by his historic appointment as England's first black captain in 1993, a milestone that carried immense symbolic weight. His managerial career, while less decorated, has been characterized by the same forthright, tough-minded approach he displayed on the pitch.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Paul was born in 1967, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Paul Was Born
The biggest hits of 1967
#1 Movie
The Jungle Book
Best Picture
In the Heat of the Night
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Paul's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1967Born
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1972Started school
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1980Became a teenager
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Could drive
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1985Could vote
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1988Turned 21
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1997Turned 30
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 40
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 50
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 59 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Became the first black player to captain the England national football team in 1993.
- Won two Premier League titles, two FA Cups, and a European Cup Winners' Cup with Manchester United.
- Made 271 combined Premier League appearances for arch-rivals Manchester United and Liverpool.
- Played in Serie A for Inter Milan, helping them win the UEFA Cup in 1994.
Did You Know?
His son, Tom Ince, also became a professional footballer.
He famously celebrated a goal for Manchester United against Liverpool by kissing his badge in front of the Kop, a gesture he later said he regretted.
He began his managerial career at Macclesfield Town, the club where he ended his playing career.
He managed Blackburn Rovers, becoming one of the few black managers in the Premier League at the time.
“I loved the pressure of playing for United. If you can't handle it, you shouldn't be there.”
