Club career: The Manchester-born midfielder had a career spanning 16 years and 536 first team league appearances for . . . deep breath . . . Halifax, Huddersfield, Middlesborough, Portsmouth, Bradford, Leicester, Luton, Stoke, Chesterfield, Wigan and Scarborough - and he managed to fit in a six-month spell coaching in Minnesota. He began his career under Alan Ball senior at Halifax, making his debut in September 1978, but had his most successful spell at Portsmouth, under Alan Ball junior, winning promotion to the old first division.

International career: Captained Ireland at under-21 level, when he was over-age, in a friendly against England, and was then promoted to the senior panel by Jack Charlton for the triangular tournament in Iceland in 1986. His international career lasted exactly three days - he made his debut against Iceland, alongside Paul McGrath in midfield (Charlton's third game in charge and his first victory) and came on at half-time in the next game against Czechoslovakia, playing out of position at left back. And that was it - he wasn't called up again.

Where is he now? Now 37, he returned to live with his parents in the farmland of Furroor, Co Clare, three years ago and had trials with Sligo Rovers and Galway United. Now coaches children all over the county and runs the underage teams at Kilmaley Football Club. Supervises successful summer camps and says that, although hurling remains the number one sport in the area, football is flourishing. Can often be seen wielding a driver at Lahinch Golf Club.