Martin Paterson
Martin Andrew Paterson (born 10 May 1987) is a professional footballer who plays for the Northern Ireland national football team as a striker for Blackpool.
He has previously played for Stoke City, Grimsby Town, Scunthorpe United, Burnley and Orlando City. Although he was born in England, he has chosen to represented Northern Ireland at international level and has been capped at U21 and senior level.
Career
Stoke City
Born in Tunstall, Staffordshire, Paterson failed a trial at nearby Port Vale at the age of nine, but quickly joined the Stoke City academy. Paterson made his debut for Stoke as a late substitute for Chris Greenacre in the 2–0 win over Plymouth Argyle on 16 April 2005. His first start came in March 2006 against Leeds United and he hit his first goal six months later, against Sheffield Wednesday. He made a total of 12 league appearances (two starts) before moving to Grimsby on loan in November 2006, initially for a month.
On loan at Grimsby in League Two, he scored on his club debut – 25 November 2006 against Accrington Stanley. Grimsby extended his loan stay for an extra two months. In February 2007, Paterson returned to parent club Stoke City after serving the maximum stay at Grimsby.