'He was a joy to watch': Tributes pour in for Wes Hoolahan

"The same skill set as Lionel Messi."

'He was a joy to watch': Tributes pour in for Wes Hoolahan

Wessi, The Wessiah or merely just Wes - Hoolahan will always have a special place in the hearts of Irish fans, writes Steve Neville.

The 35-year-old won 43 caps for Ireland, but as he announces

Read More:

Speaking to The Herald, Hoolahan said: "It wasn’t an easy decision to make, to retire, but I feel it’s one I had to make and this is the right time to do it.

"It’s a mixture of things that led me to make this decision but mainly age, I will be 36 soon, I’ll be 38 when the next Euros come around, so it’s time to move aside.

"I had two great campaigns with Ireland and the Euros in France was an amazing experience."

Hoolahan's decision follows that of Daryl Murphy, who announced his

Read More:

Eamon Dunphy, who frequently praised Hoolahan on punditry duty with RTÉ, said he's showreel was wonderful.

"He was a fabulous player. I think the crowd loved him because he was reminiscent of a different era.

"He was a street player. A little bit like...the same skill set as Lionel Messi. I'm not suggesting he was as good as Lionel Messi but the same skill set. Little wriggle of the hips and he'd lost ya, little deft touch here and there..."

"He was a joy to watch and I think probably a joy to play with as well."

Many more have taken to social media to heap praise on the Norwich midfielder.

As Philip Egan says, he'll always have this. And so will we.

more courts articles

Man appears in court charged with false imprisonment of woman in van Man appears in court charged with false imprisonment of woman in van
Man in court over alleged false imprisonment of woman Man in court over alleged false imprisonment of woman
Coronation Street actor William Roache (91) given three months to settle tax debt Coronation Street actor William Roache (91) given three months to settle tax debt

More in this section

Waterford v Athlone Town - SSE Airtricity Men's First Division Play-Off Semi-Final Second Leg Waterford cruise past Rockmount to book Munster Senior Cup final with Kerry
A view of Richmond Park ahead of the game 15/3/2024 Shelbourne and St Pats condemn racist remark made by juvenile towards Shels coach
Manchester United v Liverpool - Emirates FA Cup Quarter Final Ten Hag’s job is not safe, but Liverpool win will stir the soul forever
Sport Push Notifications

By clicking on 'Sign Up' you will be the first to know about our latest and best sporting content on this browser.

Sign Up
Sport
Newsletter

Latest news from the world of sport, along with the best in opinion from our outstanding team of sports writers

Sign up
Cookie Policy Privacy Policy Brand Safety FAQ Help Contact Us Terms and Conditions

© Examiner Echo Group Limited