Denis Irwin: Difference between revisions

| position = [[DefenderFull back (association football)#Full-back|Full- back]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.manutd.com/en/players-and-staff/detail/denis-irwin |title=Denis Irwin |publisher=Manchester United F.C. |access-date=17 April 2020}}</ref>

| years2 = 1986–1990 |clubs2 = [[Oldham Athletic A.F.C.|Oldham Athletic]] |caps2 = 167 |goals2 = 4

'''Joseph Denis Irwin''' (born 31 October 1965) is an Irish former professional [[association football|footballer]] and sports television presenter. Irwin is the joint most successful Irish footballer in history, a record he shares with [[Ronnie Whelan]] and fellow [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]] stalwart [[Roy Keane]], having won 19 trophies in his career.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.soccer-ireland.com/footbal-miscellany/decorated-footballers.htm |title=Most Decorated Fottballers : Ireland : Honours : Trophies |website=soccer-ireland.com}}</ref>

As a player, he played as a [[DefenderFull back (association football)#Full-back|full- back]] from 1983 to 2004. Irwin is best known for his long and successful stint at [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]], where he established himself as one of the most important players in the Uniteda team that won a host of domestic and European trophies inincluding hisseven time[[Premier thereLeague]] betweentitles and the [[UEFA Champions League]] from 1990 andto 2002. He has been regarded by [[Alex Ferguson]] as, pound for pound, his greatest ever signing.<ref>{{cite news |title=Sir Alex Ferguson: his 10 best and worst signings for Manchester United |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2013/may/08/sir-alex-ferguson-best-worst-signings |last=Campbell |first=Paul |date=8 May 2013 |work=The Guardian}}</ref> Earlier in his career he played for [[Leeds United F.C.|Leeds United]] and then [[Oldham Athletic A.F.C.|Oldham Athletic]], and finished his career with a two-year spell at [[Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.|Wolverhampton Wanderers]], the club he supported as a child.<ref>{{cite news |title=Irwin: 2003 Play-off final winners are part of history |url=https://www.wolves.co.uk/news/features/20200706-irwin-2003-play-off-final-winners-are-part-of-history/ |work=wolves.co.uk}}</ref>

Irwin was [[Cap (sport)|capped]] by the [[Republic of Ireland national football team|Republic of Ireland]] national side 56 times, scoring four goals and featuring in the side that reached the second round (last 16) at the [[1994 FIFA World Cup]]. Irwin is the joint most successful Irish footballer in history, a record he shares with fellow Manchester United stalwart [[Roy Keane]], having won 19 trophies in his career.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.soccer-ireland.com/footbal-miscellany/decorated-footballers.htm |title=Most Decorated Fottballers : Ireland : Honours : Trophies |website=soccer-ireland.com}}</ref>

In 12 years at [[Old Trafford]], he made 296 [[Premier League]] appearances and won seven Premier League title medals, as well as two FA Cup winner's medals (1994 and 1996), a League Cup winner's medal, and [[UEFA Champions League]] and [[European Cup Winners' Cup]] honours. He was comfortable in either of the [[Full back (association football)|full back]] positions and an expert at [[Direct free kick|free kicks]] and [[Penalty kick (association football)|penalties]], and even in his mid thirties he was still United's first -choice [[left- back]] in preference to the much younger [[Phil Neville]].{{citation needed|date=April 2020}}

Irwin was awarded a [[testimonial match]] for Manchester United – played on 16 August 2000 against Manchester City at Old Trafford. Despite testimonials being [[ExhibitionFriendly game#Association(association football)|friendly]] matches, due to the match being between local rivals it was a physical affair. Irwin went off injured in the 37th minute after a bad challenge by City striker [[George Weah]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Irwin's affair turns sour |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/irwin-s-affair-turns-sour-1.1259618 |access-date=18 August 2023 |work=Irish Times |date=17 August 2000}}</ref>

Irwin made his last appearance for Manchester United at Old Trafford against [[Charlton Athletic F.C.|Charlton Athletic]] on the final day of the [[2001–02 Premier League]] season (1211 May 2002), which ended in a 0–0 draw. For his final appearance as a Manchester United player, Alex Ferguson awarded him the captain's armband.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/1978531.stm|title=Charlton hold Man Utd|date=11 May 2002|access-date=16 October 2023|publisher=BBC Sport}}</ref>

Irwin played for the [[Republic of Ireland national under-19 football team|Republic of Ireland national under-19 team]] that qualified for the [[1983 UEFA European Under-18 Championship]] and the [[1984 UEFA European Under-18 Championship]]. He was [[cap (football)|capped]] 56 times for the [[Republic of Ireland national football team|Republic of Ireland]] between 1990 and 1999, and scored four goals. His first appearance came on 12 September 1990 (just after his move to Manchester United), when he helped them beat [[Morocco national football team|Morocco]] 1–0 in a friendly at [[Dalymount Park]]. He made his competitive international debut on 17 October 1990, when the national side began their [[UEFA Euro 1992]] qualifying campaign with a 5–0 win over [[Turkey national football team|Turkey]] at [[Lansdowne Road]]. He scored his first international goal on 29 April 1992 in a friendly against the [[United States men's national soccer team|United States]] at [[Lansdowne Road]]. His final international appearance came on 17 November 1999, at the age of 34, when Republic of Ireland lost to Turkey in the [[UEFA Euro 2000]] qualifying play-off second leg in [[Bursa]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.soccer-ireland.com/manchester-united/denis-irwin.htm |title=Denis Irwin : Manchester United : Irish Footballer : Cork |website=soccer-ireland.com}}</ref>

Irwin made his only international tournament appearance for Republic of Ireland at the [[1994 FIFA World Cup]] in the [[United States]]. He started at right back in the team's first two group matches; a 1–0 defeat of [[Italy national football team|Italy]] and a 2–1 loss to [[Mexico national football team|Mexico]]. He was then suspended for Republic of Ireland's final group game (0–0 draw vs. [[Norway national football team|Norway]]) and was an unused substitute in the 2–0 loss to the [[Netherlands national football team|Netherlands]] in the Round of 16.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.oldhamathletic.co.uk/news/2018/june/12062018-world-cup-connections-denis-irwin/|title=World Cup Connections: Denis Irwin|date=12 June 2018|access-date=16 October 2023|publisher=Oldham Athletic}}</ref>

Since 2004, Irwin has worked as a presenter on [[MUTV (Manchester United F.C.)|MUTV]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.manutd.com/default.sps?pagegid=%7B1A602F87-542E-49B4-9DE3-8B8D245F7FB2%7D&section=presenterProfile&bioid=92631# |title=MUTV – – Presenters Profiles Manchester United Official Web Site |access-date=10 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170903214207/http://www.manutd.com/default.sps?pagegid=%7B1A602F87-542E-49B4-9DE3-8B8D245F7FB2%7D&section=presenterProfile&bioid=92631# |archive-date=3 September 2017}}</ref> Irwin has been involved in coverage of several football tournaments on RTÉ. He is also a columnist with Ireland's ''Sunday World'' newspaper. He contributed to [[RTÉ Sport]]'s coverage of the [[2010 FIFA World Cup]].<ref>{{cite news |author=Black, Fergus |url=http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/tv-radio/rte-hopes-ossie-and-squad-will-spur-fans-to-back-home-team-2203365.html |work=Irish Independent |title=RTÉ hopes Ossie and squad will spur fans to back home team |date=2 June 2010 |access-date=2 June 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=O'Malley, Carl |url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2010/0602/1224271676683.html |newspaper=The Irish Times |title=RTÉ roll out big guns for their 56 live games |date=2 June 2010 |access-date=2 June 2010 |archive-date=21 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121021053654/http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2010/0602/1224271676683.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;"

|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition<ref>{{cite web |url=httphttps://www.enfa.co.uk/playersearch.php |title=Player searchDetails: Denis Irwin |website=English National Football Archive |access-date=1731 AprilOctober 20202023}}</ref>

!rowspan="2"|Club

!rowspan="2"|Season

!colspan="3"|League

!colspan="2"|[[FA Cup]]

!colspan="2"|[[EFL Cup|League Cup]]

!colspan="2"|Europe

!colspan="2"|Other

!colspan="2"|Total

!colspan="2"|Total

!72!!1!!3!!0!!5!!0!!colspan="2"|—!!2!!0!!82!!1

!colspan="2"|Total

!colspan="2"|Total

!colspan="2"|Total

! colspan="3 "| Career total

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"

|rowspan="10"|[[Republic of Ireland national football team|Republic of Ireland]]<ref>{{NFT player |id=14080|name=Irwin, Denis |accessdate=17 April 2020}}</ref>

!colspan="2"|Total||56||4

:''Republic of Ireland score listed first, score column indicates score after each Irwin goal.''<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.11v11.com/players/denis-irwin-303/ |title=Denis Irwin |website=11v11.com |publisher=AFS Enterprises |access-date=17 April 2020}}</ref>

|alignstyle="text-align: center;"|2||29 October 1997||[[Lansdowne Road]], Dublin, Ireland||style="text-align=: center;"|47||{{fb|BEL}}||alignstyle="text-align: center;"|1–0||alignstyle="text-align: center;"|1–1||[[1998 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA second round|1998 World Cup qualification play-offs]]||style="text-align=: center;"|<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.11v11.com/matches/republic-of-ireland-v-belgium-29-october-1997-264527/ |title=Republic of Ireland v Belgium, 29 October 1997 |website=11v11.com |publisher=AFS Enterprises |access-date=17 April 2020}}</ref>

|alignstyle="text-align: center;"|3||5 September 1998||[[Lansdowne Road]], Dublin, Ireland||alignstyle="text-align: center;"|49||{{fb|CRO}}||alignstyle="text-align: center;"|1–0||alignstyle="text-align: center;"|2–0||[[UEFA Euro 2000 qualificationqualifying]]||alignstyle="text-align: center;"|<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.11v11.com/matches/republic-of-ireland-v-croatia-06-september-1998-265737/ |title=Republic of Ireland v Croatia, 06 September 1998 |website=11v11.com |publisher=AFS Enterprises |access-date=17 April 2020}}</ref>

|alignstyle="text-align: center;"|4||10 February 1999||[[Lansdowne Road]], Dublin, Ireland||alignstyle="text-align: center;"|51||{{fb|PAR}}||alignstyle="text-align: center;"|1–0||alignstyle="text-align: center;"|2–0||[[ExhibitionFriendly game#Association(association football)|Friendly]]||alignstyle="text-align: center;"|<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.11v11.com/matches/republic-of-ireland-v-paraguay-10-february-1999-266341/ |title=Republic of Ireland v Paraguay, 10 February 1999 |website=11v11.com |publisher=AFS Enterprises |access-date=17 April 2020}}</ref>

[[Category:Men's association football defendersfullbacks]]