Most Underrated Ireland XI

Inspired by discussion on Budgie Byrne and a comment by Pineapple Stu, I thought that this might be an interesting topic. Probably wise to keep this to post 1975 or 1980, as we are really going on nothing but what we saw ourselves.

I'll kick off with three names that come to mind immediately for me:
Denis Irwin (great player that no-one spoke about very much - I acknowledge that he had quite a successful career, but he was never singled out the same way that others were)
John Sheridan (should have been the centre of our team except that we had too many good centre halves and started playing them in midfield, only really took off as an international towards the end of his career)
John "Budgie" Byrne (possibly the best attacking midfielder we had in my time, perfect to slot into the hole between midfield and strikers, never really used him though)

I'm not too sure Irwin was underrated by anyone that was actually in the know....

Well I'll start with GK - Alan Kelly Jr - Class keeper that was unlucky enough to be around when Shay Given was starting to make his name. Was first choice for a couple of campaigns (open for correction here) but replaced by Given when he would have been good enough to get into quite a few international teams.

Also, up front - David Kelly...great goalscorer unluck to be in Aldridge's shadow for his Ireland career...

I think Dennis Irwin has been acknowledged by so many as being underrated that i dont think he is underrated at all.

Dean Kiely - surely few men have carried more traffic cones for Ireland. Much preffered him to Alan Kelly Jnr.

Alan Maybury and Alan Kernaghan in the back four.

Mark Kennedy should have been a great player but was a messer for too much of his career.

Sheridan was unlucky. Talented player playing in a very ordinary Sheffield Wednesday side.

David Kelly even more so -terrible pity that Newcastle let him go right after promotion and then Sunderland or Wolves did the same on him later on in his career.

I suspect that Charlton didn't really rate David Kelly or John Byrne as they couldn't scrap it out like Aldridge. They were a bit before my time, though, so I'm open to correction on this. The last time I remember seeing Byrne play was against Turkey in 1991. Did he play after this? I remember Kelly coming on as substitute against Norway and obviously scoring against the Brits but that's it.

I do remember Kelly getting close to being the number 1 striker after USA 94. What happened to him then?

I don't think Irwin was underrated. In fact, if you had to pick an all time Ireland XI, I reckon he'd come close for the full back position.

Sheridan was a great passer but maybe, again, he wasn't to Jack's liking?

Tony Galvin

Mick McCarthy

Dave Langan , did his career in playing for Ireland, great player, always a fans favourite

Tony Grealish, think he captained us a couple of times in the early eighties, if not he was captain in spirit..

for some reason when I saw the thread name I thought of Liam O'Brien, I remember he equalised late on against Wales in a friendly in the 90's, which I think we went on to win. Anyone confirm this?

ken de mange

Jimmy Holmes

I will tell you the most OVER-RATED...(by staunton) Alan O' Brien ....
No were near the newcastle 11 or subs tonight and their are hit bad with injuries....players ahead of him ...andrew carroll, patterson,huntington ...who who and who

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Originally Posted by Donal81

I suspect that Charlton didn't really rate David Kelly or John Byrne as they couldn't scrap it out like Aldridge. They were a bit before my time, though, so I'm open to correction on this. The last time I remember seeing Byrne play was against Turkey in 1991. Did he play after this?

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John Byrne got 23 caps between 1985 and 1993. Scored 4 goals, including 2 goals against Turkey in Istanbul in 1991 (won 3-1). He played twice after that, both at home to Wales, in 1992 at the RDS (lost 0-1) and in 1993 at Tolka Park (won 2-1).

I remember Kelly coming on as substitute against Norway and obviously scoring against the Brits but that's it. [/QUOTE]
David Kelly got 26 caps and scored 9 goals. He played in 8 more games after the England game in 1995. Scored a hat-trick on his debut against Israel in 1987 9won 5-0). Played with Walsall, West Ham, Leicester, Newcastle, Wolves, Tranmere, Motherwell and Derry City. I think he played and scored in a Wembley League Cup final for Tranmere. In 2002 His contract at Motherwell was terminated after a dressing room punch up with Terry Butcher who was the manager. He ended up playing for Derry City and I believe his last game was the FAI Cup Final at Tolka Park in 2002.

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Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

for some reason when I saw the thread name I thought of Liam O'Brien, I remember he equalised late on against Wales in a friendly in the 90's, which I think we went on to win. Anyone confirm this?

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I think the game you might be thinking about was played in 1993 at Tolka Park. Liam O'Brien played OK. He did not score but was involved in Ireland's 2 goals. Mark Hughes scored in the first half. David Kelly missed a penalty in the first minute of the second half. Kevin Sheedy scored the first. Five minutes later Southall saved an O'Brien free and Tommy Coyne, who had replaced David Kelly, scored the winner.

McLoughlin, Kennedy, Connolly, Galvin, Kenna, Kinsella, Kilbane, Stapleton, Cascarino (the last 2 are not that underrated, but they arent given as much credit as they should, Kenna was never superb, but he was never terrible and is often forgotten)

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Originally Posted by Paddy Garcia

Jimmy Holmes

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Career cut short at a young age. Could have been one of our greats.

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Originally Posted by Superhoops

I think the game you might be thinking about was played in 1993 at Tolka Park. Liam O'Brien played OK. He did not score but was involved in Ireland's 2 goals. Mark Hughes scored in the first half. David Kelly missed a penalty in the first minute of the second half. Kevin Sheedy scored the first. Five minutes later Southall saved an O'Brien free and Tommy Coyne, who had replaced David Kelly, scored the winner.

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could be the one I'm thinking of, thanks.
Did O'Brien ever score for Ireland, for some reason I remember George Hamilton saying "that's why they call him Zico in the north east". So we're talking 92-94 anyway.

Most under-rated = Mick McCarthy.

Most over-rated = John Aldridge.

I don't see how Liam O'Brien, David Kelly or Alan Kernaghan can be seen as under-rated; they were ordinary at best and certainly O'Brien or Kelly never had a real influence on a single competitive game.

John Sheridan. Surrounded by the right players he could have been world class.

Eddie McGoldrick. Had an absolute blinder in Copenhagen where he actually ran at the Danes and kept the ball.

Chris Morris. Couldn't cross for #(@@( but he was a solid full-back.

I suspect our top scorer, calcualted by minutes on the pitch, may have been Tony Cascarino!

This may make him our most efficient anyway, certainly agree under-rated.

Mick McCarthy was underrated, we rarely conceded soft or silly goals with him in the team. Eamonn Dunphy's dismissal of him, was another indication of his blind spots when it comes to analysis. It's no coincidence that when McCarthy left the scene as a player , our goals against average increased.

I have to agree with the assessment of Anto Cascarino. He volunteered to play for Ireland in the latter period of Eoin Hand's reign when the team was brutal and got dismal results ( a bit like the current team :( ).

As regards the most underrated actual team ever produced on the island of Ireland, I think the Northern Irish team of the early 1980's never really got credit down here for their achievements. Their present team is also undervalued.

On current form , with the injuries to Shay Given etc, I believe an All-Ireland team, put out on the field this month, would contain anywhere from 6-8 Northern Irish players .

Here's one for the overrated Republic of Ireland XI.
Eamonn's hero David O'Leary in one performance out in Poland , effectively cost the Republic a place at Euro 92.