Playing position Role Footballer Years Team Height 1.83 m | 2002–2004 West Ham United Name Daryl McMahon Position Midfielder | |
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Date of birth (1983-10-10) 10 October 1983 (age 32) Place of birth Dublin, Republic of Ireland 2004 → Torquay United (loan) | ||
Current team Ebbsfleet United F.C. | ||
Daryl McMahon (born 10 October 1983) is an Irish former footballer and football manager who is the manager of National League side Ebbsfleet United.
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Starting as a midfielder his career at West Ham United, he switched to Port Vale in 2004 after failing to make a first team appearance for the "Hammers". Later in the year he moved on to Leyton Orient, where he would remain for three years. He then spent two seasons at Stevenage Borough, moving on to Cambridge United and then Farnborough in 2009. Two years later he moved on to Boreham Wood, and seven months later to Eastleigh. He has also played for Torquay United and Notts County on loan. He switched to Dover Athletic in September 2012, before signing for Ebbsfleet United in June 2013. He rejoined Boreham Wood in January 2015 before returning to Ebbsfleet as manager three months later.
McMahon represented the Republic of Ireland Under-16 team at the 2000 UEFA European Under-16 Football Championship.
Playing career
McMahon started his youth career with the famous Belvedere FC. McMahon then began his career as a trainee with West Ham United, turning professional in August 2002. In need of first team experience, he joined League Two Torquay United on loan in March 2004, making his debut as a late substitute for Martin Gritton in the 2–2 home draw with Yeovil Town on 3 April 2004. However, that was to be his only game for the "Gulls" as he returned to West Ham two weeks early, seemingly at his own request.
He was released by West Ham at the end of the 2003–04 season, joining Martin Foyle's League One Port Vale on non-contract terms in September 2004. He struggled to establish himself at Vale Park and dropped down a division to join Leyton Orient on a free transfer two months later, after rejecting a further short-term deal at Port Vale. Impressing on a non-contract basis he signed a six-month deal with Orient in January 2005.
He played 33 games of the "O's" promotion winning campaign of 2005–06 but fell out of favour the following season and joined Notts County, back in League Two, on loan in November 2006. After his loan spell finished the following January, McMahon joined Conference side Stevenage Borough. A fairly regular member of the first team at Broadhall Way, he was a sub in the FA Trophy final at Wembley. In May 2008 he signed a two-year contract with the club.
On 26 November 2008, he was transfer listed by Borough, along with teammate John Martin, and in the 2009 January transfer window McMahon agreed to join fellow Conference side Cambridge United. He made his debut in a 4–1 win over Woking at the Abbey Stadium, but struggled to hold down a place in the side. He was an unused substitute in the 2009 Conference National play-off final, as he watched his United teammates lose their second play-off final in as many years. On 16 July 2009, caretaker Cambridge United manager, Paul Carden, announced that McMahon has left the club. He then joined Farnborough for a two-year stay. He enjoyed promotion to the Conference South with the club, as they were crowned champions of the Southern Football League Premier Division in 2009–10. The following year he helped the club to the Conference South play-off final, where they were defeated 4–2 by Ebbsfleet United.
In June 2011, he signed for Boreham Wood as a player-coach on a two-year contract. McMahon's stay at Boreham Wood lasted seven months, as in January 2012 he signed for fellow Conference South side Eastleigh for an undisclosed fee. The "Spitfires" went on to post a mid-table finish in 2011–12. He was sold to league rivals Dover Athletic for an undisclosed fee in September 2012. Eastleigh manager Richard Hill had rejected two bids from the "Whites", before Dover boss Nicky Forster put in a bid that Eastleigh director Stewart Donald felt "matched our valuation" and represented "good value". He played in the 3–2 play-off final defeat to Salisbury City on 12 May 2013.
In June 2013, he signed for Ebbsfleet United for a fee of £13,000. He became a key part of the club's passing style, but credited the club's success to manager Steve Brown. The "Fleet" finished fourth in 2013–14 and reached the play-off final, where they were beaten 1–0 by Dover Athletic; this was McMahon's fourth play-off final defeat in six years. He did though play in the Kent Senior Cup final, which ended in a 4–0 victory over Dover.
He re-signed with Boreham Wood in January 2015 on a contract lasting until summer 2017.
Management career
McMahon took charge at Conference South side Ebbsfleet United on a caretaker basis for three games in November 2014, winning two games and drawing one game in the period following the departure of Steve Brown and the appointment of Jamie Day. He was given a two-year management contract at the club in April 2015. He led the club to a second-place finish in the 2015–16 season, however his record of play-off disappointment continued into his management career as Ebbfleet went on to lose to Maidstone United on penalties in the play-off final. The "Fleet" again finished second in the 2016–17 season, finishing only two points behind champions Maidenhead United. However they made up for their previous season's defeat and justified their 96 point finish after coming from 1–0 down with ten men to record a 2–1 victory over Chelmsford City in the play-off final at Stonebridge Road.