President Michael D Higgins makes touching gesture to mark the retirement of Irish football legend

The Irish Sun

5 hours ago

John Giles made astute points about football right up to and including his final media appearance
PRESIDENT Michael D Higgins has marked John Giles' retirement from punditry by heartily congratulating him in a lengthy statement.
The former RTE soccer analyst opted to finish up with Off the Ball last month - thereby bringing the curtain down on a media career that had spanned five decades.
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He'd been a weekly contributor since Newstalk's inception in 2003
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Higgins will be bidding his own farewell when his second term as President ends in November
Credit: Getty
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Higgins, 84, published an open letter hailing Giles' legacy in Irish football
Credit: @PresidentIRL
The Newstalk programme held a night in the Leeds United hero's honour at Dublin's Sugar Club on Thursday where they reunited him with several of his teammates from his time at Elland Road.
In a further tribute to the great man, Higgins has issued an open letter in which he lavishes praise on the Dubliner for his esteemed playing career and his equally laudable second half as a pundit.
He hailed: "It is with great warmth and addition that I offer my sincerest best wishes to John Giles.
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"This is a moment to reflect on John's extraordinary contribution to the world of football, a contribution that spans more than six decades. Johnny Giles occupies a singluar space in the annals of Irish sport.
"A player of extraordinary vision, composure and skill, he distinguished himself not only as one of Ireland's greatest ever footballers, but also as a statesman of the game, a man whose commitment to excellence, and to the spirit of the sport, has inspired generations.
"From his early days at Manchester United to his iconic role in Don Revie's legendary Leeds United side, Johnny has represented the very best of the game, in its roots, in its performance.
"Earning admiration for his footballing artistry and for the dignity with which he carried himself, John was a conductor in midfield; calm, visionary, and precise, a player who exemplified what football could be when played with thought and with elegance.
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"He brought with him a rare intelligence and grace to the pitch, a level of technical mastery and footballing insight that set new standards for Irish footballers.
"Off the field, John's impact has been no less profound.
"Through his work as a broadcaster and pundit, his voice, always thoughtful, incisive and ever passionate, has been one of clarity, wisdom and fairness.
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"He brought depth and dignity to the football conversation, speaking always with conviction.
"For many of us, John was a trusted and treasured companion on countless evenings spent watching the beautiful game."
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When explaining why he felt 2025 was the right time to hang up his microphone for good, the 84-year-old made a point with which football fans of all ages could relate.
SATURATION POINT
He reflected: "I always enjoyed doing it. But what I've found lately is that there's so many matches in all different competitions that I had to look at.
"And really to do this job well you have to really watch all of the matches, you can't make it up as you go long.
"So I think I was getting to the stage where it was getting a bit stale trying to watch as many matches as I could.
"It became hard work and like, football has never been hard work to me. I've always loved it but there's so many matches - even in the summer now with this Club World Cup over in America.
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"But I've had a good run of it. I'm nearly 85, I loved playing football, fell into working on the television then which I had no intentions of doing. So no complaints whatsoever from me."
CLUB SANDWICHED IN
This summer's Club World Cup was the most glaring example of a money-grab tournament being added to the calendar at a time when players are supposed to be recuperating during their off-seasons.
But even the Premier League's expansion into having fixtures on Friday evenings and more mid-week slots means there's fewer and fewer days off for players and supporters alike.
Throw in giants like Man United now going on "post-season tours" rather than pre-season ones and it's hard not to sympathise with elite players regardless of how well-paid they are.
Thursday evenings will certainly be worse off without Giles' voice beaming out across the radio airwaves.