Irwin's achievements speak volumes
When Denis Irwin left Manchester United last summer he had acquired 13 major medals, a figure which allowed him to look down on every other player who had turned out for the Old Trafford giants.
During his 12 seasons at United he hardly missed a match, hardly turned in a poor performance and hardly ever got into trouble.
Yet, even with that enviable record, most United fans are unaware of just how great a debt they owe the former Ireland international.
Without Irwin in his squad, it is quite possible Alex Ferguson would never have been able to buy Eric Cantona.
On that fateful November day when Cantona became a Red Devil and Ferguson changed the course of history, the first call came from Leeds and the subject matter was Irwin.
“Bill Fotherby, the Leeds chief executive, was on the phone to Martin Edwards about the chances of buying Irwin,” recalled Ferguson.
“It was an absolute non-starter ... then an idea jumped into my head: ask him about Cantona.”
So started the call which irreversibly altered the face of English football.
Irwin, of course, who had been snapped up earlier by Ferguson after starring in Oldham’s phenomenal run to the League Cup final and FA Cup semis, was hardly a bit-part player in the ensuing Old Trafford successes.
But his was always a quiet contribution, with a character that contrasts starkly to that of the fellow son of Cork with whom he occupied an Old Trafford dressing room for almost a decade, Roy Keane.
Whereas Keane goes about his business aggressively, unafraid to let referees, opponents and team-mates know exactly what he is thinking, sometimes you would barely notice Irwin is there.
Effective, solid, dependable, he is rarely man of the match, but never the worst performer and he was an automatic name on Ferguson’s team sheet throughout his time at Old Trafford.
Irwin had little hesitation in leaving Ireland when he was offered a professional contract by Leeds as a 16-year-old.
He went on to make 72 league appearances for the Elland Road outfit until he was released on a free transfer by Billy Bremner in 1986, not the smartest move considering what happened after that.
Once he had caught the eye as a member of Joe Royle’s exceptional side at Boundary Park, a big move was always likely and the £650,000 (€900,000) Ferguson invested to secure his services in 1990 will probably go down as one of the most astute pieces of business he has ever done.
The Corkman won a Cup Winners’ Cup winners’ medal in his first season at Old Trafford, the League Cup 12 months later and, in the season after that, captured the first of seven Premier League titles.
In his entire spell as a United player, the only real sour note was his dismissal in a league game against Liverpool for two bookable offences, the latter coming after he had kicked a ball away, which meant he was suspended for the 1999 FA Cup Final victory over Newcastle.
His international career was slightly less successful: he floundered in the big stage in his only appearance at the World Cup in the USA in 1994, struggling to come to terms with the intense heat.
Being told to ‘prove himself’ by Mick McCarthy could not have been especially pleasant either, given his performances on the domestic stage.
Still, when he finally called it a day after the Euro 2000 play-off defeat to Turkey, he had made 56 appearances.
Although his best days were clearly behind him when he was released by Ferguson 12 months ago, it was no surprise that there were a number of suitors vying for his services.
And he has confirmed his value by showing his trademark consistency for Wolves in the Nationwide League this season.
For one who prefers to let his football do the talking, it is somewhat surprising that he has already started to pursue a career in the media, with regular appearances on Manchester United’s in-house television station MUTV.
Whatever the future holds, Irwin will go down in history alongside Roger Byrne as one of the greatest United left-backs, although he probably will not want to shout about it.
