Position: Centre Half. Club: Coventry City. Lanky defender who keep the spectators on the edge of their seats. Never really looks convincing. Always gives his all for Ireland though.
Position: Right back / Wing-back. Club: Tottenham Hotspur. Player of Year at Spurs 2001. Attacking full back who played a vital role in early WC 2002 qualifies. Scorer of many goals at club level, long range shots a speciality. Will be missed at Finals.
Position: Centre Half / Striker. Club: Tottenham Hotspur. Big strong player who has been used up front for Ireland, and plays in defence for Spurs. Is back after 8 months out after injury, and scored V USA. May still go due to his flexibility.
Position: Centre Half / Left Full-back / Left side of midfield. Club: Aston Villa. Ireland's most capped player - and a nice guy to boot. Will be going to his third World Cup (one more than Gary Lineker - two more than Gazza) and won't let anyone down. Should start the tournament as out first choice centre half.
A recent move to Everton has helped him loads. A good man to come on from the bench if a game needs to be held. Doesn't get the credit he deserves when he goes forward. May lose out to more flayboyant and media-friendly players.
Position: Central Midfield. Club: Ipswich Town. Captain of Club - and main reason they do well. Scored a great goal in Portugal which introduced him to the Irish public. Box-to-box, and pops up for a large amount of goals.
Position: Central Midfield. Club: Manchester United. In case you didn't know - there's only one Keano. Our inspirational captian, out at the moment with an injury. He will return before the end of the season, and will captain us in japan and South Korea.
Been out with injury for a lot this year. This will have him rested for finals. Looks to be best bet to start beside Keane in midfield.
Position: Central / Right Midfield. Club: Sunderland. The guy in the Irish team who always makes us laugh. Ran at Maldini in USA 94 and scared the life out of the world class Italian. Should start for Ireland on right. Scored a great goal V Holland on road to qualification.
Position: Right Midfield. Clubs: Liverpool, Aston Villa, Crystal Palace. Who put the ball in the English net - Houghton, Houghton.
The only player to score a winning goal for Ireland in the World Cup finals, Ray scored the second major goal of the Charlton era (the first was scored by a Scotsman who name is beyone me at present, but that defeat of Bulgaria allowed the Republic to qualify for Euro'88 in Germany) against the old enemy in Stuttgart. And we don't care if Bryan Robson had one leg, Lineker had broncitus or Hoddle had a religious experience, we kicked English ass on German grass.
A small man with a great heart and soul, Ray never let the side down, and scored a great goal in Giants Stadium in New York V Italy, a game which we dominated and should have won by more.
Ray also scored one of the penalties against Romania in the Italy '90 Quarter Finals.
Position: Left Midfield. Clubs: Everton, ??? . Who put the ball in the English net - Sheedy, Sheedy. Scorer of the first ever Irish goal at the World Cup Finals. Thank you very much Mr. Sheedy. Deadly left foot, one of the scorers in the penalty shoot-out V Romania in the Quarter Finals in Italy '90.
Position: Centre half, Central Midfield. Clubs: St. Patricks Athletic, Manchester United, Aston Villa, Derby County. The Black Pearl of Inchicore. One of the most accomplomished plaeys to ever polay for Ireland. Plagued by dodgy knees and run out of Manchester United in the 80's, Paul played in two World Cups and one European Championships, as well as FA Cup's and League Championships challenging teams in the 80's and 90's. Truly a World Class player during Jack Charlton's era, Paul suffered through not being able to train in later years.
He did come to my house in August 1990. And I was to scared to talk to him. Sad eh ?? My mother did all the talking. Pathetic I know.