Irish in Europe

**tetsujin1979** · 21/10/2004, 2:17 PM

this time last year I put together an Irish XI playing in the first round or greater of european competition, and it was a fairly strong team, this year the best I can come up with is:

.............Given
Carr..O'Brien..O'Shea..Maybury
Miller..Keane..Moore..Duff
......McGeady..Byrne

Whereas the majority of England's XI are all in Europe, bar Robinson and Defoe, not impressive from our point of view.

I think it serves to highlight the areas we're deficient in - left full, a partner for Roy Keane and up front.

**Peadar** · 21/10/2004, 2:26 PM

Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

............Given
Carr..O'Brien..O'Shea..Maybury
Miller..Keane..Moore..Duff
......McGeady..Byrne

You could have Finnan instead of Maybury.

**Stuttgart88** · 21/10/2004, 2:28 PM

Darren Potter played for Liverpool in the preliminary stage.

In the build up to the French match I read that there are 70 players to have come through Clairefontaine that have played Chamions League football.

How many Irish players have played CL football (group stages)?

**tetsujin1979** · 21/10/2004, 2:35 PM

Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

Darren Potter played for Liverpool in the preliminary stage.

In the build up to the French match I read that there are 70 players to have come through Clairefontaine that have played Chamions League football.

How many Irish players have played CL football (group stages)?

I was thinking of Potter alright, but I kept it to full internationals who've played in the first round or greater (none of the qualifying rounds) you could add Glen Crowe to it as well if you were to include them

Not sure who's played Champion's League football, but the numbers comıng out of Clarefontaine are the biggest incitement to setup a similar school of excellence here

**carnstien** · 21/10/2004, 2:36 PM

Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

Whereas the majority of England's XI are all in Europe, bar Robinson and Defoe, not impressive from our point of view.

I wouldn't really see it as a disaster. If our players are not playing in the latter stages of the champions league they will be more fresh come the end of the season, having played significantly less games.

**roboyle** · 21/10/2004, 4:35 PM

Originally Posted by carnstien

I wouldn't really see it as a disaster. If our players are not playing in the latter stages of the champions league they will be more fresh come the end of the season, having played significantly less games.

Yeah, but I think he meant they're playing for teams that haven't even made the early rounds of European football this year - would be great 'big match' experience to bring to important international matches...

**Closed Account 2** · 22/10/2004, 4:41 AM

Did the Irish lad play in goal for Millwall v Ferencvaros ? Also UEFA list the following players as Irish in Newcastle's Uefa Cup Squad, none have played so far as im aware. Anyone know anything about them ?

50 Stephen Brennan -- 26.03.1983 -- IRL
56 Alan O'Brien -- 20.02.1985 -- IRL

Back in 2000-2001 we had a few players (and great manager) in the Leeds team that got to the semis of the CL.

I'll try and start the ball rolling on our players who've played in the CL.

Robbie Keane (Inter vs some Danish side in the Qualifiers, did he play for Leeds?)
Gary Kelly (Leeds)
Ian Harte (Leeds)
Steve McPhial (Leeds)
Shay Given (Newcastle)
Andy O'Brien (Newcastle)
Roy Keane (Man Utd)
Liam Miller (Celtic/Man Utd)
John O'Shea (Man Utd)
Finnan (Liverpool)
Partridge ? (Liverpool)
Potter (Liverpool)
Duff (Chelsea)
Aiden McGeady (Celtic)

Thats all I can think of, im sure theres a few I've missed out. Not sure if either Babb or Mahon played in the CL during their spells at Sporting Lisbon, also did Cas play for Marseille in the CL ?

**tetsujin1979** · 22/10/2004, 9:04 AM

I think Robbie came on as a sub for Inter when they were losing, prompty won a penalty only for Recoba to stick it wide. Because he played in the game, he was cup tied for Leeds.

I'm fairly sure Babb played, dunno about Cass

What about Connolly at Feyenoord?

**Stuttgart88** · 22/10/2004, 9:41 AM

I reckon Marseille were banned from Europe while Cass was there (?).

Can't think of any others just now. Good list.

**tetsujin1979** · 22/10/2004, 9:44 AM

Healy at Celtic? Doubt it though.

Did Villa play in the Champion's League in the early days of the competition?

**Closed Account 2** · 22/10/2004, 10:04 AM

Dont think Villa did, it was just the Champions up to at least the year Blackburn won the League (Man Utd played in the UEFA and went out to Rotor Stalingrad)... think it may have been 1997-8 when runners up were included but not 100% sure.

Think the only Premier Teams to have played in it were:-

Man Utd (all except 1995-6)
Arsenal (all since 1998-9)
Liverpool (2001-2, 2002-3, current)
Newcastle (1997-8, 2002-3, lost qualifier to Partizan Belgrade 2003-4)
Leeds (2000-1)
Blackburn (1995-6)
Chelsea (1999-2000, 2003-4, current)

**tetsujin1979** · 22/10/2004, 10:09 AM

Originally Posted by cfdh_edmundo

Blackburn (1995-6)

Is there a chance Jeff Kenna played so?

And Irwin too, obviously

**Irish_Praha** · 22/10/2004, 10:19 AM

Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

this time last year I put together an Irish XI playing in the first round or greater of european competition, and it was a fairly strong team, this year the best I can come up with is:

.............Given
Carr..O'Brien..O'Shea..Maybury
Miller..Keane..Moore..Duff
......McGeady..Byrne

Whereas the majority of England's XI are all in Europe, bar Robinson and Defoe, not impressive from our point of view.

I think it serves to highlight the areas we're deficient in - left full, a partner for Roy Keane and up front.

Oh where did I see this exact post before

**Closed Account 2** · 22/10/2004, 10:29 AM

He may well have, he joined them around Feb 95. There were only 6 matches for them, (Legia Warsaw, Rosenbourg, and Spartak Moscow) so I cant be certain.

**eirebhoy** · 22/10/2004, 1:29 PM

Wouldn't we be better off naming the currently active players that played in Europe. If there's no time limit I'm sure it would be a pretty long list. Here's my list with a bit of research on soccerbase.com (not including players who played in Europe for Irish clubs as there's too many):

Graham Stack (Millwall)
Shay Given (Necastle)
Nick Colgan (Hibs) - 2 games against AEK Athens

Stephen Carr (Newcastle)
Andy O'Brien (Newcastle)
John O'Shea (Man U)
Steve Finnan (Liverpool)
Gary Kelly (Leeds)
Ian Harte (Leeds)
Richard Dunne (Man City)
Steve Staunton (Villa / Liverpool)
Alan Maybury (Hearts)

Rory Delap (Southampton) - 2 games in the UEFA cup last season
Matt Holland (Ipswich)
Liam Miller (Celtic / Man U)
Stephen McPhail (Leeds)
Damien Duff (Chelsea / Blackburn)
Steven Reid (Blackburn) - 2 games in the UEFA cup last season
Roy Keane (Man U)
Alan Mahon (Sporting) - Started the 4-0 defeat to Real Madrid
Colin Healy (Celtic) - 8 UEFA cup games
Mark Kennedy (Liverpool)
Jason McAteer (Liverpool)
Darren Potter (Liverpool)
Willo Flood (Man City)
Aiden McGeady (Celtic)

Robbie Keane (Leeds)
David Connolly (Feyenoord) - Started a CL match against Man Utd
Jon Macken (Man City)

They all definitely played. There's probably more.

**tetsujin1979** · 22/10/2004, 1:33 PM

I'm pretty sure Paul Tierney travelled with the United squad to a couple of CL games, but whether or not he made the bench I can't say

**Slash/ED** · 22/10/2004, 1:39 PM

I think he might have played against Juventus around a year or so ago, Man U put out a reserve side and I think Tierney might have played.

**eirebhoy** · 22/10/2004, 1:47 PM

Tierney never played in Europe. check www.soccerbase.com , he has only played 1 league cup match for United. European matches (an playoffs, vans trophy, etc.) are listed under other.