The Soccernostalgia Interview-Part 30 (Interview with Irish Freelance writer, Historian and Broadcaster Mr. John O’Carroll, on Republic of Ireland National Team‘s One-Cap Wonders in the 1990s)

 

For this interview, I look back at the history of the Republic of Ireland National Team players who made a solitary appearance for the National Team in the 1990s.

 

The Interviewee is:

Irish Freelance writer, Historian and Broadcaster Mr. John O’Carroll

 

Mr. O’Carroll’s contact info:

e-mail: johnocarroll0@gmail.com

or on facebook under John O’Carroll

 

 

The aim is to look upon the reason, background and circumstances why a certain player was selected for a match but never again.

 

 

Soccernostalgia Question: Mike Milligan of Oldham Athletic made a second half appearance (coming in the 62nd minute for Dennis Irwin) in a friendly vs. USA on April 29th, 1992 at Dublin (4-1 win). What can you tell of the background to his selection?

Mr. John O’Carroll Response: Coming through the ranks at Oldham Athletic, Mike Milligan would also spend time at Everton, Norwich City, and Blackpool over the course of his career. He subsequently spent a few seasons in the Premier League, with his sole international cap coming in this game in 1992. Manchester-born Milligan came to prominence when, along with Denis Irwin, he helped Oldham reach the League Cup final and FA Cup semi-finals as a second-tier club in 1990.

Milligan played in the 4-1 win for Ireland’s B team over their English counterparts in March 1990 but it was his midfield partner in that B international, Alan McLoughlin who was the bolter for the World Cup squad. Like Irwin, Milligan left Boundary Park that summer but, while the full-back thrived at Manchester United, Milligan struggled at Everton. He returned to Oldham after they won promotion and he also played top flight for Norwich.

Photo From: Republic of Ireland, Gifted in Green, Author Adam Ward,1999

(Michael Joseph Milligan)

Soccernostalgia Question: Two years later, on April 20th, 1994, Owen Coyle of Bolton Wanderers, similarly would make a second half appearance (coming in the 85th minute for Tommy Coyne) in a friendly vs. the Netherlands at Tilburg (0-1 win). He was Jackie Charlton’s last only cap. What can you say about him?

Mr. John O’Carroll Response: Owen Coyle is probably more remembered for his managerial exploits than playing ones by many in Ireland. In saying that, the former Burnley and Bolton manager would win one cap for Ireland back in 1994. The Scot admitted he was not good enough to play for the country of his birth and threw his lot in with Ireland instead. For years people had been clamouring for Owen Coyle - a prolific goalscorer in Scotland and with Bolton at this time - to get a game and he got a cap coming on against the Oranje for the final seven minutes in a friendly that Ireland won prior to the 1994 World Cup. At that stage there was possibly one place as a striker in the squad still up for grabs. He didn't impress Charlton and was never picked again.

Photo From: Republic of Ireland, Gifted in Green, Author Adam Ward,1999

(Owen Columba Coyle)

Soccernostalgia Question: After almost a year in charge, Mick McCarthy tried out Bolton Wanderers goalkeeper Keith Branagan for a friendly vs. Wales at cardiff on February 11, 1997 (scoreless tie). Despite earning a clean sheet, he was not selected again. What can you tell about his selection?

Mr. John O’Carroll Response: Keith Branagan probably would have earned quite a few more Ireland caps in most other eras. He made over 200 league appearances for Bolton over an eight year period in the 90s, including in a League Cup final and two campaigns as first choice in the Premier League. Unfortunately, competition from the likes of Shay Given, Dean Kiely, and Alan Kelly meant that he was unable to add to his solitary international appearance. It was a remarkable turn of events for the Londoner who had been sold by Mick McCarthy, when he was Millwall boss, for just £10,000, to Bolton Wanderers in 1992. He helped Bolton win top-flight promotion, where he had two seasons, and also played in the 1995 League Cup final, losing to Liverpool. But there were no further caps with Given or Kelly featuring in all games over the next two years and Dean Kiely also emerging. Incidentally, the 1997 game v Wales was also Paul McGrath's final international appearance.

Photo From: Republic of Ireland, Gifted in Green, Author Adam Ward,1999

(Keith Graham Branagan)

Soccernostalgia Question: Ireland’s last one-cap wonder of the decade was Michael Evans of Southampton. He made a second half appearance (coming in the 85th minute for Tony Cascarino) in a World Cup Qualifier vs. Romania at Dublin on October 11th, 1997, (1-1 tie). What was the background to his selection?

Mr. John O’Carroll Response: Coming through the ranks at Plymouth Argyle, Evans did well in the lower leagues with the club, helping them to earn promotion from Third Division in 1996. That helped to convince Graeme Souness to fork out £650,000 to bring him to Southampton nine months later, scoring four goals for the club as they avoided relegation from the Premier League. His only Ireland cap came a few months later, playing five minutes off the bench in a qualifier against Romania. Somebody discovered that he was eligible for Ireland and told Mick McCarthy. It was to be Evans' first and only cap at international level. He had fallen out of favour at Southampton a mere few months after keeping them up in the top flight. Evans would go on to sign with West Bromwich Albion a few days after his international exposure, where he would end up spending three seasons. Although this game v Romania was a qualifier, it was to all intents a dead rubber as Romania had already topped the group and Ireland were sure of finishing second in the group prior to this game.

Photo From: Republic of Ireland, Gifted in Green, Author Adam Ward,1999

(Michael James Evans)

Soccernostalgia Question: What is the common thread between these players and what differentiates them in terms of circumstances for their lone appearance? (If different from the circumstances from the 80s response)

Mr. John O’Carroll Response: One common denominator is that all of these players were late developers at international level. Mike Milligan was there at a time when Ireland had several quality midfield players so unless he performed unbelievably well he was going to have little chance of establishing himself in the team. Owen Coyle had scored a lot of goals in the Scottish league up to this time and at this time Bolton - a second tier club - were having some good domestic cup runs so it was natural that Jack Charlton would give him a game to assess his capabilities at international level. Keith Branagan was tried out as he was playing regularly in the Premier League at this time and Mickey Evans had made an impact at Southampton in the preceding months. Of course, a good club player does not always make a good international player and it became evident that these players were still a little short of international standard. Today of course they would be welcomed with open arms into the international setup but in the 1990s Ireland had a greater selection of quality players than they have at present. Of the four players featured in this study, only Keith Branagan actually started a game and played the full 90 minutes.

Soccernostalgia Question: Given that Mick McCarthy started managing in a rebuilding phase, one would have thought there would be more one-cap players. Was he also limited in the number of International level players he could chose from?

Mr. John O’Carroll Response: Mick McCarthy introduced a number of new players into the Ireland setup in his first couple of years in charge. The other players he introduced would have received a few caps but all of these caps would have been awarded in one calendar year, e.g. Jon Goodman of Wimbledon received four caps - all in 1997. Ireland was going through a somewhat transitional phase from 1996 until 1998 as the core team of the Charlton era was breaking up and new emerging talent was being introduced. Also, post Euro 1996 English born players weren't declaring for Ireland in the same numbers as they had been prior to this so this naturally meant McCarthy had fewer players to choose from. Of course the increasing influx of players from all over the world into the Premier League meant that young Irish players now had a lesser chance of breaking through and making an impact in the way Irish players had done in the preceding decades. The likes of Damien Duff and Robbie Keane were still too young for senior international soccer at this time.

Soccernostalgia Question: The decade of the 1990s was split between Jackie Charlton and Mick McCarthy. was there a difference in their approach to select new players that may have contributed to such a low number of one-caps in the decade?

Mr. John O’Carroll Response: Jack Charlton tended to be loyal to many of the old guard of players. Even in friendly games he tended to name strong teams. Mick McCarthy inherited a rebuilding of the Irish team so he had to cast the net wide for players. As I said, several players would have been capped more than once but in saying that didn't have long international careers. In addition, Mick was trying to evolve the Irish system of play where in addition to the long ball tactics room would be allowed for creative talented players to give the team a plan B if one were needed. Towards the end of the Charlton era it became obvious that Ireland did not have a plan B if plan A failed and by the time Mick took over many teams had successfully learned to cope with Charlton's style of play - meaning results were not as good as had been previously. So Mick saw the need to rebuild and also do this by allowing expansive players the freedom to develop and be creative.