Carling Legends - Denis Irwin - United’s King of Consistency
Denis Irwin is the Republic of Ireland’s joint most decorated footballer of all time alongside fellow Corkonian Roy Keane with 19 trophies.
What can £625,000 get you these days?
Certainly a lot less than what it got you in 1990.
For Alex Ferguson, it got him and Manchester United a quiet, unassuming, trophy-winning machine.
Denis Irwin started his career at Leeds United in the 1983, but it was his time at Oldham that set him apart as one of the standout full backs playing in Britain. His talents didn’t go unnoticed.
Towards the end of his time at the Latics, Irwin was the targeted by Sheffield Wednesday and Manchester City. But it was City’s rivals Manchester United that kept the keenest eye on the Corkman.
As chance would have it United were drawn to take on second division Oldham in the 1990 FA Cup semi-final. United were already likely to go in for Irwin at the end of that season but accomplished performances in the Cup tie and the subsequent replay left Ferguson in no doubt.
That FA Cup success was the last trophy United were to win without Irwin for the best part of a decade.
A European Cup Winners Cup followed in his first season with the Red Devils. United and Irwin then won the League Cup in 92. The following season, a first league title after 26 barren years came United’s way.
In total, Denis Irwin won seven of them with United. The second of which was part of a double won by the club with the FA Cup in 1994. Irwin and United made it a famous double-double in 96. 1999 was a standout year in the career of every Manchester United footballer. Irwin no less. Ferguson’s side finally reached the holy grail of winning the Champions League. A remarkable 10 days saw United win the league title with a win against Tottenham. Irwin was to miss their FA Cup triumph against Newcastle after he received the only red card of his career against Liverpool before that. And then there was the European Cup final against Bayern Munich. United and Irwin had suffered in the competition year after year under Ferguson.
In their treble winning season, the Manchester club emerged from a group containing Barcelona and Bayern Munich. They would go on to beat Inter Milan and Juventus on the way to facing Bayern in the decider.
Despite trailing for the majority of the famous final, Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer scored injury time goals to secure the Champions League, and a first ever domestic and European treble for a British side. Irwin would go on to win his last two titles in the two subsequent years before moving on to finish his career with Wolves.
296 appearances, seven league titles, two FA Cup winners’ medals, a League Cup, a champions league, and a European Cup Winners medal. Denis Irwin is the Republic of Ireland’s joint most decorated footballer of all time alongside fellow Corkonian Roy Keane with 19 trophies.
Not bad for £625,000.
Find out more about amazing stories like this from Denis Irwin, with Carling at The Goalpost Pub Tullamore on Saturday 20th April to watch the Emirates FA Cup Semi Final⚽
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