Darlington are delighted to announce the signing of Paddy McLaughlin for the 2026/27 season, subject to FA and National League approval. 

You can watch his interview here:

Paddy, 35, joined the club on loan from York City in late October last year and become a vital component in the midfield, which coincided with the club's impressive run of form in the month of November where they only lost one league game in the whole month. The midfielder made 27 appearances last season as he brought his wealth of experience to the squad.

Paddy started his career in the youth ranks at Newcastle United, after his release he joined York City in 2012 where he enjoyed success in his first season winning the FA Trophy and earning promotion to League 2. After this he spent time at Grimsby, Gateshead and Hartlepool. He then rejoined York City in 2019 when the club were in the National League North playing for them through to this season, with a brief spell on loan at Kidderminster Harriers in 2022. 

Manager Steve Watson spoke on the signing of Paddy for the coming season: “Paddy came to us at a time when we needed a bit of stability, I have worked with him before and he's one of the best professionals you'll ever meet. He's incredibly important around the dressing room and is a very good player who can play in two or three positions. So to have Paddy onboard doesn't only give us a good footballer, but also another leader in the dressing room which you can't have enough of.”

The club are delighted to have Paddy back in black in white and wish him every success with the upcoming season.