Case For The Defence
He’s made the Man U and Ireland right-back positions his own this season, and is playing what he admits is the best football of his career as a result. As the Republic gears up for a play-off crack at World Cup qualification, JOHN O’SHEA talks about life under Trapatonni, and reflects on another successful year at Old Trafford.
Stuart Clark, 23 Oct 2009
The K.G.B. had nothing on Hot Press. Realising 17 years ago that he was destined to become one of the pre-eminent Irish footballers of his generation, we placed a mole in John O’Shea’s class at De La Salle College in Waterford. The intelligence gleaned by Agent Duffy, who now in from the cold is working in the HP Art Department, includes information that will be of particular interest to Manchester United supporters. To wit, their star right-back was a Liverpool fan.
“It’s true!” O’Shea shame-facedly admits. “I was young, immature and didn’t know any better! I wanted to rebel against me dad and me brother who are big United fans. It worked – the atmosphere in our house was always really tense when Liverpool were playing Man U!”
Was Alex Ferguson aware of John’s errant teenage behaviour in 1998 when he brought him to Old Trafford?
“I don’t think he was, thankfully! I told him I was a Celtic fan, which was probably just as bad with him being a former Rangers player!”
Talking of Celtic, had United not come in for him, the then 17-year-old O’Shea would probably have started his professional career at Parkhead.
“It was strange ‘cause when I did the Leaving Cert I didn’t know for certain where I was going. I had a couple of options including Celtic, and then United came in at the last minute and blew me away with their facilities. I didn’t have to go on trial or anything – they just offered me a deal based on what they’d seen of me at the European Under-16 Championships in Scotland, which we beat Italy 2-1 to win.”
All very interesting, but how did he get on in his Leaving Cert?
“I got me honours and just below 400 points, which wasn’t too bad given all the distractions. The European Championships actually happened half-way through, so me head was all over the place!”
De La Salle’s arch-rivals were Mount Sion who had a curly-haired cherub by the name of Stephen Hunt playing for them. Was he as mad then as he is now?
“Madder, believe it or not! We had some great battles. He still rattles on about the time his team beat us in a cup or league play-off final, but mainly it was us who came out on top. You could tell he was going to do everything he could to make it and, sure enough, Crystal Palace snapped him up.”
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