The next destination of our alphabetical world tour is the Republic of Ireland. Ireland’s close proximity to England means it’s no surprise that a huge number of Irishmen have played in the Premier League over the years.
According to the Premier League website, 174 players have represented Ireland in the Premier League, including several on the opening day of the very first season.
First Players – Several
Nine Irish players started for their respective clubs on the opening day of the 1992/93 Premier League season: Ray Houghton, Paul McGrath, Steve Staunton (all Aston Villa), Kevin Moran (Blackburn Rovers), Andy Townsend (Chelsea), Eddie McGoldrick (Crystal Palace), Denis Irwin (Manchester United), Alan Kernaghan and Chris Morris (both Middlesbrough).
Eddie McGoldrick became the first Irish scorer in the Premier League, netting in a 1-1 draw with Oldham just four days after the season’s opening day.
Most Appearances: Shay Given – 451 (Blackburn, Newcastle, Man City, Aston Villa, Stoke; 1994-2017)
A Premier League veteran of over two decades, Shay Given amassed 451 Premier League appearances in goal for five different clubs.
Most of these appearances came during a 12-year spell at Newcastle, where he is best remembered. He began his time in England with Blackburn Rovers, though he only made two Premier League appearances for the Riversiders over three years.
Large parts of his final years were played as an understudy, particularly at Villa and Stoke. Nonetheless, Shay Given’s 451 appearances remain a record for an Irishman, while only 21 men of any nationality have made more.
Top Scorer: Robbie Keane – 126 (Coventry, Leeds, Spurs, Liverpool, West Ham, Aston Villa; 1999-2000, 2000-11, 2012)
Though he played for six different Premier League clubs, Spurs were the only club for whom Robbie Keane played more than one full season in the Premier League.
His career path was curious, to say the least, and after two seasons in the second tier with Wolves he moved up to the Premier League with Coventry City. A short, unsuccessful stint at Inter Milan followed in 2000/01 before Keane returned to England with Leeds and then Spurs.
He left Spurs permanently in 2011, though he spent large parts of his final two seasons out on loan at Celtic and West Ham and endured an unsuccessful six-month stint at Liverpool in 2008/09. His final spell in England came in early 2012 when he joined Aston Villa on a short-term loan from LA Galaxy.
Current Players
21 Irishmen appeared in the Premier League before the suspension in 2019/20. Sheffield United defender Enda Stevens was the only one to have appeared in all of his team’s fixtures before the lockdown, though Jeff Hendrick (Burnley), James McCarthy (Crystal Palace), John Egan, David McGoldrick (both Sheffield United) and Matt Doherty (Wolves) all made 20 appearances or more.
Trivia
- Five Irish players have won the Premier League – Denis Irwin (x7), Roy Keane (x7), John O’Shea (x5), Damien Duff (x2) and Darron Gibson.
- Shane Long scored the fastest ever Premier League goal in Southampton’s draw with Watford in April 2019 (7.96 seconds).
- Robbie Keane scored 68 international goals. No other Irishman has more than 21.
- Three Irishmen have scored a Premier League hat-trick – Robbie Keane (x3), Jonathan Walters and Leon Best.
