Republic of Ireland Squad at Euro 2012

Irish football manager Giovanni Trapattoni named his squad for the Euro 2012 football finals in Poland and the Ukraine on Monday 7th May 2012 at the Aviva Stadium. As indicated in earlier comments the conservative Italian largely remained faithful to the players that got him to the Euro finals.

The only ‘surprise’ inclusion was James McClean of Sunderland, who had made such an impact in the Premiership in 2012 however the highly talented James McCarthy from Wigan Athletic had asked to be withdrawn from consideration for selection for Euro 2012 after his father was diagnosed with cancer.

Republic of Ireland Goalkeepers for Euro 2012 Finals

Shay Given (Aston Villa) Born: 20 April 1976
At the time of the squad announcement Given was Ireland’s most-capped player. He made his debut against Russia in 1996. Having begun his career at Celtic in Scotland he moved to Newcastle United in England. He was goal for Ireland during the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea, the last time Ireland qualified for a major finals. Given won his 100th cap against Montenegro in 2009. Euro 2012 Qual Apps: 11

Keiren Westwood (Sunderland) Born: 23 October 1984
Westwood was Ireland’s second-choice goalkeeper and he made his competitive debut against Macedonia in a Euro 2012 qualifier in March 2011. Shay Given was injured at the time. Westwood almost quit football altogether after being released by Manchester City in 2004. He signed for Carlisle United, where a good run of form earned him a move to Coventry City. Euro 2012 Qual Apps: 1

David Forde (Millwall) Born: 20 December 1979
Born in Galway, Forde established himself in the League of Ireland league before moving to Cardiff in 2006. In 2008 he moved to Millwall, where he enjoyed considerable success, earning promotion to the English Championship. Forde made his international debut against Northern Ireland in the 2011 Carling Nations Cup at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Euro 2012 Qual Apps: 0

Republic of Ireland Defenders for Euro 2012 Finals

John O’Shea (Sunderland) Born: 3 April 1981
From Waterford, O’Shea made his name at Manchester United, where he won five Premier League titles as well as the UEFA Champions League. During his time at the Old Trafford club, he played in every position, including goalkeeper on one occasion. In 2011 O’Shea signed for Sunderland. He made his international debut against against Croatia in 2001. Euro 2012 Qual Apps: 9

Richard Dunne (Aston Villa) Born: 21 September 1979
The Hero of Moscow Richard Dunne made his breakthrough at Everton before transferring to Manchester City where he clashed with then-manager Kevin Keegan over his off-field activities. In 2009 Dunne signed for Aston Villa . Dunne was Ireland’s key man in defence during the Euro 2012 qualifiers and it was his heroic performance in a scoreless draw away to Russia that led to Euro 2012 qualification for the Irish. Euro 2012 Qual Apps: 10

Sean St Ledger (Leicester City) Born: 28 December 1984
Although St Ledger had yet to make an impression at the highest level of English club football he was a steady performer for Ireland at International level. He scored a diving header against Italy to secure a place for Ireland in the 2010 World Cup playoffs. Euro 2012 Qual Apps: 9

Stephen Ward (Wolverhampton Wanderers) Born: 20 August 1985
Left back Ward started out as a striker for Dublin League of Ireland club Bohemians, where his performances earned him a transfer to Wolverhampton Wanderers in England. He converted to the left back position in 2008. Ward made a goal-scoring debut against Northern Ireland in the Carling Nations Cup in 2011. Euro 2012 Qual Apps: 5

Stephen Kelly (Fulham) Born: 6 September 1983 Caps
Dubliner Stephen Kelly played at fullback but can also cover the central defence position. Kelly signed for Tottenham Hotspur in 2000 and made his debut for Ireland in 2006 while playing for Birmingham City. Kelly captained his country for the first time in a friendly against Uruguay in March 2011 and at the time of selection for the Euro 2012 squad he had not scored for Ireland. Euro 2012 Qual Apps: 5

Darren O’Dea (Unattached) Born: 4 February 1987
Darren O’Dea was born in Dublin in 1987. After a promising start to his football career with Celtic in Scotland he hit some poor form and went on loan to Reading, Ipswich and Leeds United in pursuit of first-team football. O’Dea made his Irish debut in September 2009 in a friendly against South Africa. Euro 2012 Qual Apps: 4

Paul McShane (Hull City) Born: 6 January 1986
Paul McShane was born in County Wicklow in 1986. He signed for Manchester United in 2004 but never made a senior appearance for he Old Trafford club. McShane won his first cap for Ireland under Stephen Staunton in October 2006 against the Czech Republic in a 2008 Euro qualifier at Lansdowne Road. He made six appearances during the 2010 World Cup qualifiers under Tapattoni however he did not feature during the 2012 Euro qualifiers. Initially McShane was named as a standby replacement he was called into the Irish squad to an replace Kevin Foley, who had beennamed in the original squad. Euro 2012 Qual Apps: 0

Republic of Ireland Midfielders for Euro 2012 Finals

Keith Andrews (West Bromwich Albion) Born: 13 September 1980
Dubliner Keith Andrews made his debut in a 3-2 defeat against Poland in a friendly in Dublin in 2008. When fit he was a first choice for Trapattoni in midfield alongside Glenn Whelan during the qualifiers. Andrews played in the infamous 2010 World Cup playoff match against France in Paris that featured the Thierry Henry handball incident. Euro 2012 Qual Apps: 7

Glenn Whelan (Stoke City) Born: 13 January 1984
Glenn Whelan was born in Dublin in 1984 and began his club career with Manchester City. A favourite of Giovanni Trapattoni’s Whelan made his senior debut against Serbia in 2008. Along with Aiden McGeady, Whelan had a 100% Euro 2012 appearance record. At the time of selection for the Euro squad he had scored just two goals for his country. Euro 2012 Qual Apps: 12

Darron Gibson (Everton) Born: 25 October 1987
The Northern Irish-born central midfielder spent seven seasons at Manchester United but failed to make a breakthrough before moving to Everton in January 2012. Gibson had played for Northern Ireland at underage level but chose to represent the Republic of Ireland and made his debut against Denmark in 2007. Euro 2012 Qual Apps: 4

Damien Duff (Fulham) Born: 2 March 1979
Dubliner Damien Duff was outstanding in the 2002 World Cup in the wake of the infamous Saipan affair involving Roy Keane and Mick McCarthy. Duff began his career in England with Blackburn Rovers before joining Chelsea, where he won two Premier League titles. A tricky, old-fashioned winger, the left-footed Duff did not score many goals for his country but he was a major creative element of many Irish teams over the years. Euro 2012 Qual Apps: 7

Aiden McGeady (Spartak Moscow) Born: 4 April 1986
Born in Scotland, Aiden McGeady qualified to play for Ireland via the Granny Rule. He spent seven years with Celtic during which he was voted Scottish Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year in 2008. In 2010 McGeady moved to Spartak Moscow. A slow starter internationally, McGeady wore the green jersey for the first time in 2004 against Jamaica but he had to wait seven years for his first goal, against Macedonia in March 2011. Euro 2012 Qual Apps: 12

Stephen Hunt (Wolverhampton Wanderers) Born: 1 August 1981
Born in Waterford Stephen Hunt was probably best known for an accidental clash with the Chelsea Goalkeeper Petr Cech in 2006 which left keeper with a fractured skull. Hunt won his first cap for Ireland in 2007 against San Marino. At the time of selection for the Euro 2012 finals he had scored just one goal for Ireland in a 2-3 defeat to Poland at Croke Park. Euro 2012 Qual Apps: 7

Paul Green (Unattached ) Born: 10 April 1983
Paul Green was born in Pontefract, England. He qualified to play for Ireland through his grandfather on his mother’s side, who is from Westport, County Mayo. Green won his first full cap in a 2–1 win against Paraguay at the RDS Arena, coming as a second half substitute. Three days later he made his first start for Ireland in a friendly match against Algeria also scoring his first international goal in a 3–0 win. Green’s first competitive start came in a 1–0 win over Armenia in September 2010 in a Euro 2012 qualifier. Perhaps it was a predictor of future events, he was a late replacement for the injured Keith Fahey. Euro 2012 Qual Apps: 4

James McClean (Sunderland) Born: 22 April 1989
Virtually unknown five months ago before selection for the Euro 2012 squad winger McClean was picked for Sunderland for the first time in manager Martin O’Neill’s first game in charge. This proved to be an inspired move by O’Neill as McClean was an outstanding success for the rest of the season. Amid public clamour McClean made his international debut at the Aviva Stadium in February 2012 as a 78th minute substitute in a friendly against the Czech Republic. Along with late addition Paul McShane, he was the only outfield player in Trapattoni’s Euro 2012 squad that had not played in any of the qualifiers. Euro 2012 Qual Apps: 0

Republic of Ireland Forwards for Euro 2012 Finals

Robbie Keane (LA Galaxy) Born: 8 July 1990
All time Irish record goal scorer Keane had averaged almost a goal a game since making his international debut at the age of 17. Ireland’s captain for the 2012 Euros made his Irish debut against the Czech Republic in March 1998. The first of his many goals for Ireland came in October 1998 when he scored a brace against Malta in a 2000 Euro qualifier at Lansdowne Road. Euro 2012 Qual Apps: 11

Kevin Doyle (Wolverhampton Wanderers) Born: 18 September 1983
Doyle signed by Reading from League of Ireland club Cork City in 2005. The energetic striker made his Republic of Ireland debut in March 2006 against Sweden in a friendly match. Doyle’s first international goal came later the same year in a 2008 Euro qualifier against San Marino. Euro 2012 Qual Apps: 9

Simon Cox (West Bromwich Albion) Born: 28 April 1987
Simon Cox was born in Reading, England and qualifies to play for Ireland through his Irish-born grandmother. Cox gained recognition by Giovanni Trapattoni through his sheer of dogged determination that the Italian admired. Cox made his international debut in May 2011 in a 5-0 victory over Northern Ireland in the Carling Nations Cup. He scored the fifth goal in that match. Euro 2012 Qual Apps: 6

Jon Walters (Stoke City) Born: 20 September 1983
Walters was dropped from Ireland’s squad in August 2011 after opting out of the May series of friendlies. Unusually Trapattoni gave him a second chance and Walters grabbed it with two hands by scoring his first international goal in the Euro 2012 playoff win over Estonia. Walters made his Irish debut in November 2010 in a friendly against Norway. Euro 2012 Qual Apps: 2

Shane Long (West Bromwich Albion) Born: 22 January 1987
Another product of the League of Ireland Tipperary-born Shane Long signed for Reading from Cork City. An industrious and hardworking forward Long won his first Irish cap in a 2-1 win away to San Marino in a Euro 2008 qualifier in February 2007. He scored his first goal for Ireland in a friendly in the USA against Bolivia. His first competitive goal came against Russia at the Aviva Stadium in a Euro 2012 qualifier. Euro 2012 Qual Apps: 5

Standby Players for Euro 2012 Finals:

Darren Randolph (Motherwell) Born: 12 May 1987: Caps: 1 Goals: 0 Euro 2012 Qual Apps: 0
Paul McShane (Hull City) Born: 6 January 1986: Caps: 27 Goals: 0 Euro 2012 Qual Apps: 0
Paul Green (Derby County) Born: 10 April 1983: Caps: 10 Goals: 1 Euro 2012 Qual Apps: 4
Seamus Coleman (Everton) Born: 11 October 1988: Caps: 5 Goals: 0 Euro 2012 Qual Apps: 0
Andy Keogh (Milwall) Born: 16 May 1986: Caps: 22 Goals: 1 Euro 2012 Qual Apps: 13

Original Squad Members that had to Withdraw due to Injury

Keith Fahey (Birmingham City) Born: 15 January 1983
Keith Fahey was named in the original travelling party however a reoccurrence of an old injury meant he could not take his place in the squad. From Tallaght in Dublin Fahey signed for Birmingham City in 2009 from League of Ireland club St Pat’s. An earlier spell with Aston Villa in 2002/03 had seen Fahey return to Ireland. He finally made his Premier League debut in 2009 at the age of 26. Fahey made his international debut in a friendly against Paraguay in 2010. He scored his first international goal in Ireland’s Euro 2012 1-0 qualifying win over Armenia in Yerevan. Euro 2012 Qual Apps: 8

Kevin Foley (Wolverhampton Wanderers) Born: 1 November 1984
Foley was another original Irish squad member to miss out on the Euro 2012 finals. Contrary to initial reports that his ommission was due to injury, it transpired that Giovanni Trapattoni had decided to replace Foley with Paul McShane who could provide cover for the right fullback and centre half positions. Born in Luton, England, Foley qualified to play for the Republic of Ireland through his Irish parents from County Kerry. He made his full Irish debut on 29 May 2009 in a friendly match against Nigeria in a 1-1 draw at Craven Cottage in London. Foley is a full back but he can also play in midfield. Euro 2012 Qual Apps: 2

Republic of Ireland Squad Details

Ireland & 1990 World Cup Finals – Irish Squad World Cup 1990
Ireland V England 1990 – Ireland V Egypt 1990 – Ireland V Holland 1990
Ireland V Romania 1990 – Ireland V Italy 1990
Ireland & 1994 World Cup Finals – Irish Squad World Cup 1994
Ireland V Italy 1994 – Ireland V Mexico 1994 – Ireland V Norway 1994 – Ireland V Netherlands 1994
Ireland & 2002 World Cup Finals – 2002 World Cup Irish Squad – 2002 World Cup Irish Group Matches
Ireland V Cameroon 2002 – Ireland V Germany 2002 – Ireland V Saudi Arabia 2002 – Ireland V Spain 2002