Issue 12 Saturday, November 17, 2007

Wales v. Ireland

Cult Hero

Denis Irwin

DENIS Irwin was born in Cork on the 31st of October 1965. He grew up in Togher and spent his youth days playing sports, mainly hurling, GAA and soccer. His house was beside the pitches and so it was a life of sport. I’m sure even in those early days he had the same steely determination and doggedness that marked out his career with such distinction. Oh. and CONSISTENCY of course. It’s speculation of course but you can imagine Irwin as the exact same kid in your class who was the best at most sports and the ones he wasn’t, he tried his damnedest to be the best. Like many a footballer, Irwin will tell you, there was always more skillful, faster and better players but they all lacked the most essential ingredient mental strength. And Irwin had it in spades. It was always hidden, Irwin was never one for the over the top celebrations, he let his football do the talking. There is no secret to Irwin’s success he just did everything a defender was supposed to do. Take up the right positions, stick with your man, head it, tackle it, clear it, play the simple pass. The basics (as Gilesy would say). The difference with Irwin was he did the basics every time, every game, error free. Many defenders can have good games but make the one or two mistakes that ruin it. Irwin was consistent almost every game and it’s through this consistency he was able to rise to the top and be known as ‘Mr Dependable’ and ‘The Quiet Man’. He did his job professionally and without the glamour, the acclaim and the spotlight. And that’s just the way he liked it. Irwin is “forever grateful” that, unlike his teammates he was never mobbed by the fans. He said back in 2000: “I’ve just always been happy to get on with life and I am forever grateful that I could go to the pub or down to the pitch and not get the hassle the others did.” Irwin signed for Leeds in 1982 at 16 years of age, and was released two years later and signed by Oldham Athletic. After giving six excellent years of service to Oldham he signed for Manchester United in July 1990 a month after Ireland’s first World Cup adventure. Three months later he made his debut, on September 12, against Morocco. The ‘paltry’ fee of £625,000 was an absolute bargain over time for Alex Ferguson but it was a record at the time for a defender, so ‘paltry’ now was top dollar then. Ferguson said: “Denis’ career has been one of absolute distinction. We have had some great players at the club but if someone had to vote for pure consistency in every game of a season, then Denis would have been our player of the year every time.” His career with United led to 296 appearances with a rack of medals. Seven league titles, three FA Cups, one League Cup, one Champions League, one Cup Winners Cup. To put it in perspective that’s more topflight medals than all the squad to face Wales today combined. His time with United ended in 2002 at the age of 36 but he didn’t retire, oh no, there was still time for two more seasons with Wolves, helping them to win promotion to the Premiership in his first season and playing top flight football again for one last season before retiring a legend at 38. Dave Jones said on Irwin’s retirement: “Denis deserves a standing ovation for what he has achieved. Denis is a super pro and I’m sure the other players here will have learnt a lot from him in the last two years. Someone said to me this week that Denis looked like he was doing his first-ever week of training not his last. He is that committed.” Consistency once again. Irwin was part of the Jack Charlton squad that almost reached Euro 92, but a late England equaliser against Poland sent England threw, even though we didn’t lose a game in qualifying, and should have beaten England in Wembley in one of our greatest performances of recent times. Irwin was an integral player in our second World Cup adventure as qualification was secured at the expense of Denmark (Euro 92 winners) on goal difference. Hurray. The tournament had started so brightly with victory over Italy but never managed to go above mediocre after that, and Holland beat us two-nil, and sent us n our way. But at least we got out of our group. The Dutch again were our nemesis as Jack’s final game saw us beaten 2-0 at Anfield in the Euro 96 play off. Irwin played in one last qualifying Tournament under new manager Mick M cCarthy and again it was the dreaded play-offs , once again elimination, this time losing 3-2 on aggregate to Belgium. For Irwin his Ireland career ended on a sour note as McCarthy’s thoughtless comments of “go and prove me wrong” before playing a game was enough for Irwin to call time on his international career. He earned 56 caps and scored four goals, but for Ian Harte being our regular penalty and free kick specialist it’s a guarantee Irwin would have had more goals. When Jack was asked his opinion on Irwin he had this to say: “You never had to worry about Denis, you’d nearly forget he was there as you’d be thinking of some other player or issue. Denis would never let you down. I loved that about him.” What now of Mr. Dependable? Well he’s working for MUTV as a presenter, which is just as well because he’d bore you to tears when  he was a panelist for RTE What works on the pitch doesn’t translate on to TV, and he falls into the ‘give it up lads’ category alongside Packie Bonner and Frank Stapleton. It’s just as well we honour our Cult Heroes for their service on the pitch as opposed to off it. As a player, as a man, as an Ireland legend, Denis we salute you.

Liam Murray