Skip to main content

A Few Incredible Irish Goalkeepers at the European Top Flight Competition

Image
By

 


The Irish goalkeepers seem to be too rare to have a spotlight in the European top flight competition, UEFA Champions League, or European Cup in the past.

The record on Irish goalkeepers in the Champions League or European Cup have never been easy to find, especially the incredible ones. Such does not appear to be the main stage for them. However, it might change this season with the emergence of Caoimhin Kelleher. The current Liverpool goalie is initially Alisson Becker’s understudy. Yet, his thigh injury has forced him on the sideline. His potential return is on December 14th. During his absence, the Ireland international displayed his true quality, including saving penalties. Kylian Mbappe’s one was the most recent one he denied, which helped The Reds end their dismal run against Los Blancos in the Champions League by snatching a 2-0 win at home.

Kelleher has featured in five UCL games so far: three fixtures this season plus another two final matches at the group stage in the 2020/21 campaign. He has lifted the UCL trophy but not as the first choice. No wonder that this season could be his chance to shine, provided Arne Slot would still name him in the lineup for Champions League games, even after the return of Alisson.

What’s even worse, his contract will end in summer 2026, plus The Reds have decided to sign Georgian goalie Giogi Mamardashvili, who is currently still on loan with his former side, Valencia. Next season, he should be heading to Anfield while Alisson is still the expected number 1. Such would push Kelleher to the exit, should he want to play regularly.

Ahead of the clash against Girona this midweek, which could be the Irish 26-year-old’s final appearance in the UCL this year, let us find out the other Irish goalies have notable form in the Champions League.


Pat Bonner (Glasgow Celtic)

One name who is definitely on the list is none other than Pat Bonner. He was part of the Ireland squad during Jack Charlton’s tenure in the late 1980s to the mid-1990s. It was the period when they made their EURO and World Cup debut.

Bonner played for Scottish powerhouse Glasgow Celtic throughout his career. Thus, he undoubtedly had experience performing in the European Cup. The Donegal-born goalie made his European Cup debut in the 1981/82 season as he helped The Bhoys thump Juventus 1-0 in the first round. Unfortunately, they slumped to a 2-0 defeat in the reverse fixture.

During his stint from 1978 to 1997, he only made 14 appearances in UEFA’s top-tier competition, and Celtic’s best progress was only reaching the second round. Bonner did help them to do so in the 1982/83, 1986/87, and 1988/89 campaigns. In the 1982/83 season, he even contributed to Celtic’s 2-1 win over Ajax on the road. The shot-stopper with 80 international caps was able to deny Johan Cruyff’s dangerous free kick in the second half. However, despite knocking out the Dutch giant in the first round, Celtic failed to ease past Real Sociedad in the second round. They were eliminated by a 3-2 loss on aggregate.

Games in UCL (clean sheet)

Season

Notable games

2 (1)

1981/82

Celtic vs Juventus 1-0 (1st round)

4 (0)

1982/83

Ajax vs Celtic 1-2 (1st round)

4 (2)

1986/87

-

3 (1)

1988/89

Bremen vs Celtic 0-0 (2nd round)

Shay Given (Newcastle United)

Another Irish goalie in UCL is certainly none other than one of the best Irish shot stoppers in the Premier League, Shay Given. He was the key figure in Newcastle United when they competed in European top-flight competition in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

He was given featured in 14 UCL games and helped The Magpies to reach the second group stage in the 2002/03 campaign. Overall, the former Manchester City and Everton shot stopper only made appearances in two seasons in UEFA’s continental top tier without making a single clean sheet.

Nevertheless, he produced more clinical saves than Bonner to avoid more conceding. Given was quite heroic in his Champions League debut while beating Barcelona 3-2 at St. James Park in the 1997/98 season with his remarkable saves to protect their three-goal lead before eventually Luis Enrique and Luis Figo reduced their deficit. He replicated his form while taking on Dynamo Kiev after conceding twice in the first half. The Toon Army managed to snatch one point in the end, but that was not enough to help them progress to the next stage.


Games in UCL (clean sheet)

Season

Notable games

4 (0)

1997/98

Newcastle vs Barcelona 3-2

Dynamo Kiev vs Newcastle 2-2

(group stage)

10 (0)

2002/03

Newcastle vs Bayer Leverkusen 3-1

Inter Milan vs Newcastle 2-2

(second group stage)

 


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Father and Son Footballers who played for different nations

By
  A number of father-and-son footballers have surprisingly not played for different national teams due to a various number of reasons. Football often runs in the family. Ideally, they all shine and have a chance to play for the same national team. Unfortunately, in some families, it is not always the same. The father sometimes becomes the star while the son barely can match the father’s stardom, or the other way around. Having a father who was also a famous footballer does not always give you an advantage. On the contrary, it can put huge pressure on the son, which eventually has an impact on their form. Such could lead to their failure to earn a cap in his father’s national team. Let alone thrive with them. That is what Luca Zidane experiences. He is the son of Zinedine Zidane, Les Blues' hero in the 1998 FIFA World Cup and EURO 2000. His father was undoubtedly one of the greatest footballers of all time with three FIFA Best awards in hand. On the other hand, Luca has neve...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Ex-Goalkeepers Turning Successful Managers Outside the Top Leagues

By
  Several notable former goalkeepers who thrive as managers from outside the European top leagues deserve recognition. The goalkeeper position has often been underrated despite its crucial role in football defence, especially in the past. Goalies tend to be deemed less likely to succeed when they become managers. Being a tactician demands the ability to read the game in their playing career. Thus, the best head coaches are normally the former midfielders or defenders. The likes of Pep Guardiola, Carlo Ancelotti, Luis Enrique, Zinedine Zidane, Jurgen Klopp, and Thomas Tuchel are the proven examples, as they all used to operate from the second line or backline and get involved in the attacking build-up. However, it does not mean that former shot-stoppers is bound to fail in their managerial career. Some manage to shine as well when they are in the dugout. Julen Lopetegui, Nuno Santo, Dino Zoff, and Raymond Goethals are the popular examples. They have been frequently discussed d...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Shining Understudies in EURO History

By
  The stars in the UEFA Euro Championship have not always been the mainstay but also the secondary players in the pecking order.  The summer tournament is coming soon. More and more teams have announced their squads, either provisional or final. Some teams have even held their friendly games as a team warm-up as well as a final stage for squad selection.  During this crucial time, some players might be injured due to the fixture congestion at the club level, which has been a common issue in the past few seasons. Consequently, they can be left out since they are likely to recover in time, or if they are still included in the final squad, those players would not be able to be in form on D-day. Should that happen, another name will take over their place on the team.  This week, England and Scotland have been concerned over the injuries of some key men. The Three Lions are likely to exclude their left back, who scored in the last edition final, Luke Shaw, while The...
Post a Comment
Read more