With Liverpool in Dublin next Monday to play Bray Wanderers, a reunion of sorts will take place with Kenny Dalglish in town, as former Republic of Ireland manager Steve Staunton is expected to join the Anfield bootroom ahead of the new Premier League season.
Having been out of the game since losing his job at Darlington in March 2010, the chance to return to the club which played such a major part in his early playing career where he won the First Division title, the FA Cup and Charity Shield - is no doubt welcome.
Kop Legend Sammy Lee abruptly left his role of assistant manager at the end of June as Liverpool’s revolution under Kenny Dalglish continued and his sudden departure ended a long association with the club for the 52-year-old, who started his Anfield career as a schoolboy during the days of Bill Shankly. He then returned as Rafa Benitez’s No 2 in May 2008.
Over recent weeks the suggested contenders to replace him have been Paul Clement, who left a similar position at Chelsea recently, and the club’s former midfielder Gary McAllister.
Lee had also been assistant to Roy Hodgson before Dalglish returned as manager in January but the subsequent appointment of Steve Clarke as first-team coach altered his role, qhich culminated in his departure.
Staunton is another long time servant of Anfield having first been signed for Liverpool back in 1986 from Irish side Dundalk, making his debut as a substitute against Tottenham in 1988 and became the club's first choice left back.
Although part of Liverpool's title winning side of 1990 he was sold, against his wishes, to Aston Villa the following summer where he spent a very successful seven years at Villa Park. He then re-signed for the Reds on a free transfer in 1998.
He played a few games at Liverpool's problem left-back position during 1999/2000 and was a useful member of the squad as he could play at the left of a defensive three and in midfield. In the early part of the 2000/01 season Liverpool told him that he would be allowed to leave the club on a free transfer. Out of the first team picture at Anfield, he joined First Division Crystal Palace on loan in October 2000 to put himself in the shop window. There he played six games and scored one goal for the Eagles.
In November 2000 he was recalled to Anfield as the Reds had a crisis at left back and Staunton was drafted in to play from the bench against Olympiakos in the Second Round of the UEFA Cup. That proved to be his last game for Gerard Houllier's and he rejoined Aston Villa on a free transfer in early December 2000.
At Villa Park he made his second debut for the club in a 1-0 defeat at Chelsea and was immediately a crucial member of the Villa first team. By the end of the 2002/03 season, he had played a total of 318 games for the club.
On the international front Steve played in Jack Charlton’s 1990 World Cup team that reached the quarterfinals -where he starred on the left side of defence at just 20 years old- and was also part of the 1994 World Cup squad in the USA that reached the last 16 in the United States.
He took over the captain armband for the Republic of Ireland 2002 World Cup squad and led the Irish in the tournament in Japan/Korea after the events of Saipan. He announced his international retirement after winning 102 caps and scoring eight goals, becoming the first Irishman ever to break the magical 100 caps mark.
Off the field following his retirement Steve Staunton worked with RTE covering some of Ireland’s 2004 European Championship qualifying home games and Sky Sports.
In England Staunton continued to play club football, plying his trade with Coventry City until the summer of 2005 after leaving Aston Villa when David O’Leary arrived as manager. He did not return to Coventry after his contract expired, and joined Walsall on 2 August, 2005.
He held the post of assistant coach at Walsall with Paul Merson until the 16 January 2006 when he was appointed manager of the Republic of Ireland senior international side. Fittingly, he was captain of the Walsall side that defeated Blackpool 2-0 on 31st December 2005, in what was his final game as a professional footballer.
Following the departure of Republic of Ireland manager Brian Kerr, after the team failed to qualify for the 2006 World Cup, a tree-man sub- committee of the Football Association of Ireland(FAI) selected Steve Staunton as their new man for the EURO 2008 campaign. In February 2006 he was joined by former England manager Sir Bobby Robson supporting him in the role of International Consultant and with former Aston Villa teammate Kevin MacDonald as coach.
A dream start with a 3–0 victory over Sweden in March of the same year set the Dundalk man on seemed like a promising career as international manager.
However on the evening of October 23rd 2007 it all came to an end after Staunton failed to make an adequate case to be retained in the national team job. The 21 month reign subsequently ended with Don Givens taking temporary charge of the national team until Giovanni Trapattoni's appointment as manager.
After that, Steve Staunton used scout players for Mick McCarthy for his Wolverhampton Wanderers club and then joined Leeds United in early 2008, working alongside Gary McAllister for a training session, with a view to becoming McAllister's assistant manager at the club. When McAllister was sacked by Leeds United in December 2008 after five consecutive defeats, Staunton also left the club.
He joined Darlington in May 2009.
Since being out of football Steve Staunton has regularly worked with Sky Sports as pundit and co-commentator on the Republic of Ireland international matches.
Fact File
Date of birth: January 19th, 969
Place of birth: Drogheda
Position Defender
International Cap: 102
International Goals: 8
No comments:
Post a Comment