Ireland's biggest European success stories
Wednesday, March 16, 2016
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Saint Patrick's Day is a holiday on both sides of the Irish border; UEFA.com celebrates the Irish players who made the greatest impact in UEFA club competition.
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It is Saint Patrick's Day – what better time for UEFA.com to celebrate the most successful players from the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland to appear in UEFA's club competitions?
Most appearances by an Irish player in the European Champion Clubs' Cup/UEFA Champions League (including qualifying)
80: Roy Keane (IRL, Manchester United)
76: John O'Shea (IRL, Manchester United)
64: Denis Irwin (IRL, Manchester United)
44: Steve Finnan (IRL, Liverpool)
39: Aiden McGeady (IRL, Celtic, Spartak Moskva)
35: Neil Lennon (NIR, Celtic)
27: Damien Duff (IRL, Chelsea)
27: Jonny Evans (NIR, Manchester United)
27: Mark Lawrenson (IRL, Liverpool)
27: Steve Heighway (IRL, Liverpool)
Top-scoring Irish players in the European Champion Clubs' Cup/UEFA Champions League (including qualifying)
15: Roy Keane (IRL, Manchester United)
9: George Best (NIR, Manchester United)
6: Ronnie Whelan (IRL, Liverpool)
5: Glen Crowe (IRL, Bohemians, Shelbourne)
5: Jason Byrne (IRL, Shelbourne, Bohemians)
5: Billy Whelan (IRL, Manchester United)
5: Arthur Thomas (NIR, Linfield)
Most appearances by Irish players in UEFA club competition*
84: Roy Keane (IRL, Manchester United)
77: Denis Irwin (IRL, Manchester United)
77: John O'Shea (IRL, Manchester United)
71: Shay Given (IRL, Newcastle United, Manchester City)
71: Aaron Hughes (NIR, Newcastle United, Fulham)
68: Damien Duff (IRL, Blackburn Rovers, Chelsea, Newcastle United, Fulham)
60: Steve Heighway (IRL, Liverpool)
57: Neil Lennon (NIR, Leicester City, Celtic)
56: Steve Finnan (IRL, Fulham, Liverpool)
55: Pat Jennings (NIR, Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal)
55: Aiden McGeady (IRL, Celtic, Spartak Moskva, Everton)
Top-scoring Irish players in UEFA club competition*
15: Roy Keane (IRL, Manchester United)
15: Robbie Keane (IRL, Internazionale Milano, Leeds United, Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool)
12: Derek Dougan (NIR, Wolverhampton Wanderers)
11: Liam Brady (IRL, Arsenal, Juventus, Internazionale Milano)
11: Glen Crowe (IRL, Bohemians, Shelbourne, Sporting Fingal)
11: Tommy Taylor (IRL, Manchester United)
10: Steve Heighway (IRL, Liverpool)
10: Jason Byrne (IRL, Bray Wanderers, Shelbourne, Bohemians)
9: George Best (NIR, Manchester United)
9: Don Givens (IRL, Queens Park Rangers, Neuchâtel Xamax)
9: Frank Stapleton (IRL, Arsenal, Manchester United, Ajax)
First Irish players to appear in/win a European Champion Clubs' Cup/UEFA Champions Leaguefinal
Shay Brennan IRL, Tony Dunne IRL, George Best NIR (Manchester United 4-1 Benfica, 1968)
First Irish players to appear on the losing side in a European Champion Clubs' Cup/UEFA Champions Leaguefinal
Johnny Giles (IRL, Bayern München 2-0 Leeds United, 1975)
Most European Champion Clubs' Cup/UEFA Champions Leaguefinal appearances by an Irish player**
2: Steve Heighway (IRL, Liverpool 1977, 1978)
2: Mark Lawrenson (IRL, Liverpool 1984, 1985)
2: Ronnie Whelan (IRL, Liverpool 1984, 1985)
2: Steve Finnan (IRL, Liverpool 2005, 2007)
First Irish players to play in a UEFA Cup final
Danny Hegan (NIR), Derek Dougan (NIR); Joe Kinnear (IRL)
Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-3agg Tottenham Hotspur, 1972
First Irish player to appear in/win a UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final
Danny Blanchflower (NIR, Tottenham Hotspur 5-1 Atlético Madrid)
*UEFA club competitions means European Champion Clubs' Cup/UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League, European/South American Cup, UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, UEFA Super Cup and UEFA Intertoto Cup
**played at least one minute