The late, great Alan McLoughlin after scoring arguably the most important goal in Irish football history in 1993. He never featured at USA'94, despite sending us there on that bitter night in Belfast; however, he did play a part four years earlier.
Born in Manchester to Irish parents, he chose to represent Ireland in 1990 after being selected by both England and Ireland B simultaneously, who were due to play each other in Cork:
"There, on top of a pile of mail, was a pristine envelope with the three lions crest on it," McLoughlin said in his autobiography, 'A Different Shade of Green'.
"My heart started racing. I had been selected to play for England ‘B'. I excitedly started making telephone calls. I couldn't get through to Dad at his work, so next I called Mum. She was delighted with the news.
"Then I turned back to the pile of mail sitting on the doormat. Four other letters – fast food menu, council tax bill, energy bill – and one plain, slightly dog-eared brown envelope. It was from the Football Association of Ireland. I had been selected to play for Ireland ‘B' too!
"I phoned Mum up again. This time, I heard a little crack of emotion in her voice as she told me how proud of me she was. Although she was trying to hide it, she was a lot more excited. This was the woman who had regularly cycled across Manchester in the rain just to watch me play school matches as a kid. And that was it for me: Ireland."
Ireland B beat England B 4-1 in Turner's Cross, with McLoughlin scoring for good measure!
Big Jack called him up right before Italia '90, replacing Gary Waddock in controversial circumstances. And McLoughlin later admitted he felt like he had "gatecrashed a party" as he joined the squad with very little prior international experience.
After he chose to represent Ireland, McLoughlin's parents were happy. Though not everybody understood his decision.
"But many of my friends in Swindon and back in Manchester simply could not understand why I had turned down the ostensibly more attractive option of pulling on the lilywhite of England," he said.
"For them, it was a bad career choice. For me, it was a question of national identity and was the right choice both professionally and morally."
Alan would feature at Italia'90, coming off the bench in Ireland's opener against England and that infamous 0-0 against Egypt.
What a legend.
#ireland
Jeff Hostetler — the former West Virginia star quarterback and future Super Bowl XXV hero — describes his first training camp practice for the #Giants in 1984.
10 moves I do every morning for mobility ✅
1. Hips
2. Spine rotation
3. Thoracic openers
4. Hip openers
5. Ankles and knees
6. More hips
7. Adductors and hips
8. Spine length and pelvic alignment
9. Flexion release
10. Squat flexion
You used to call me on your Irish reunification phone…
For centuries, the island of Ireland was governed as part of the United Kingdom, formally following the Act of Union in 1801. After the Irish War of Independence, the island was divided in 1921. A year later, 26 counties formed the Irish Free State, while six counties in the northeast remained within the United Kingdom as Northern Ireland.
The partition was the result of deep political, religious, and historical divisions. In the early 1600s, the English Crown launched the Plantation of Ulster, bringing thousands of Protestant settlers from Scotland and England to the region. Over generations, many of their descendants identified as British or unionist and supported staying within the United Kingdom, while many descendants of the native Irish population identified as Irish or nationalist and supported reunification.
Today, the Republic of Ireland is an independent nation, while Northern Ireland remains part of the United Kingdom. The 1998 Good Friday Agreement established that Northern Ireland’s constitutional future can only change if a majority of its voters choose to unite with the Republic of Ireland.