Despite being a country that is so passionate about hurling and Gaelic Football, Ireland has produced quite a good number of exceptional soccer players over a period of time.
What is even more admirable is that it has done so with a rather amateurish domestic soccer league. These popular Irish footballers have enjoyed plenty of success with several big-time UK clubs like Chelsea, Manchester United etc. Below we will briefly go over top 4 such Irish footballers of all time. In addition, if you’re interested in general news related to sports in Ireland, including football, please visit this page on our website.
Roy Keane
A legend and an icon of the beautiful game, Roy Keane was the better one amongst the best during his heydays. Fighting his way from Cobh Ramblers to Manchester United, Keane was all about dedication and hard work. Becoming a part of the Red Devils, as well as their captain in no time, he helped Manchester United win plenty of medals and trophies all across Europe and England.
Agreed that his international career was marred by certain drawbacks, and his stints with the clubs he played at got him branded as a true mercenary, particularly owing to his troubles in Saipan and the Alf Inge-Haaland incident, but it can’t be denied that he has been the greatest Irish man to have played football, and never allowed his personal and technical problems hamper his journey to the top.
George Best
Described by the Irish Football Association as the greatest footballer to put on Northern Ireland’s green shirt, George Best was born and brought up in Belfast before embarking on a memorable soccer career with Manchester United. In his 470 appearances for the club, he scored 179 goals, during a time span of 11 years. Doesn’t come as a surprise that he emerged as the top scorer for the club for 5 straight seasons. Inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in the year 2002, George Best passed away at the age of 59.
Packie Bonner
Ireland’s famous penalty shootout victory over Romania in the 1990 World Cup was majorly because of the team’s goalie Packie Bonner. Thanks to his tremendous reflexes, he set David O’Leary up to the net and earned his team a very important win. This was an era when there was no VAR and arcade games were all the rage (Still miss them? Well, you can play those arcade games online here: www.casino.com)! Having lined up for Glasgow Celtic for multiple seasons, Packie Bonner became a sort of a club legend at one point of time. A big-time supporter of local Irish football, he once gave a rousing speech at the Galway Cup, talking about the importance of nurturing young talent and improving the sports science culture of Ireland.
Robbie Keane
Another Keane and amongst the most loyal servants of Irish football since 1998, Robbie Keane has always been about chasing success on the football pitch. With more than 65 goals to his credit, he is presently the highest scoring international Irish footballer. Currently playing with LA Galaxy in MLS, Robbie Keane has emerged as a tremendous sportsmen and a true leader over a period of time. No one can forget the goal he scored against Germany in the 2002 World Cup, which took the team into the last 16.
