Latest news with #JOHNGiles
The Irish Sun
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
John Giles speaks for all football fans when revealing part of his motivation behind retiring from punditry
JOHN Giles spoke for football fans of all ages when detailing how the relentlessly expanding season is part of the reason he's opted to retire from punditry. On Thursday the 84-year-old Advertisement 2 Giles is finding the relentless modern football calendar increasingly tough 2 Last night Balon d'Or holder Rodri made his first start since suffering an ACL tear Credit: Getty When asked if it had been a difficult decision to settle on, he succinctly summed up the growing disillusion he and fans the world over are feeling thanks to the The Ireland icon reflected: "I always enjoyed doing it. But what I've found lately is that there's do many matches in all different competitions that if I had to look at them all. "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. Advertisement Read More On Irish Football "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. "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." The ongoing Club World Cup is the But even the Premier League's expansion into Advertisement Most read in Football Throw in giants like Man United Thursday evenings will certainly be worse off without Giles' voice beaming out across the Irish airwaves. David Beckham in hospital as Victoria shares picture of star with arm in sling & sweet 'get well soon daddy' message Amid the OTB's Managing Director hailed: 'John Giles, Senior Analyst, is a titan of Irish sport. His weekly explanation of football truth on Off The Ball helped deepen what the country knows about football. Advertisement "His ability to see through bulls*** and his love of the game shone through in every contribution. "Off The Ball has been blessed to call John a mentor, colleague and friend for over 20 years, he set the bar for what's expected every Thursday night and we can only hope to live up to his legacy. "We have truly been standing on the shoulders of a giant.' RTE EXIT The Dubliner Advertisement Unlike his exit from Newstalk, it was a somewhat acrimonious parting as the Leeds United great told the Irish Sun in 2017. The former Ireland player-manager stated at the time that he He said: 'I don't think that's possible, an offer coming in. If it did, I would consider it, but I wouldn't be dashing in, strange as that may seem, I don't miss it. 'I wasn't disappointed with how it ended with RTE, I had 30 good years at RTE. Advertisement 'It took them that long to find me out! That was their business to do it, I would have continued but I wasn't broken-hearted about it, I had a great run.'
The Irish Sun
26-06-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Inside John Giles' life with wife & kids from Man United breakthrough to Leeds icon and legendary RTE pundit
JOHN Giles has been a legendary figure in Irish football for over a half-century between his starring days on the pitch to his lengthy career as a pundit. Born in 1940, he made the trip across the Irish Sea from Dublin when he was only 16 to join Manchester United after getting spotted by a scout while playing for Stella Maris. Advertisement 3 The 84-year-old was inducted into the FAI's Hall of Fame in 2021 3 It was at Leeds United where he really blossomed into a star Credit: PA:Press Association 3 He was a staple of RTE's coverage of club and international football for 30 years Credit: Times Newspapers Ltd While he did break into the first team and racked up 99 appearances for the Red Devils, he was deemed surplus to requirements by legendary manager Matt Busby in 1963. Busby would go on to rue selling him to one of the club's fiercest rivals in Leeds United. At Elland Road Giles Over the course 12 seasons ion Yorkshire, the midfield playmaker helped the side win two First Division league titles, an FA Cup, a League Cup while they also lifted the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup twice. Advertisement Read More On Irish Football Giles was also central to their run to the European Cup final of 1975 where victors Bayern Munich were aided in their 2-0 win by several highly suspect refereeing decisions. The latter years of his playing career were spent at West Brom (1975-1977), a stateside stint at Philadelphia Fury (1978) and Shamrock Rovers (1977-1983) where he acted as player-manager. MEDIA CAREER In 1986 he embarked upon what was to become an iconic second act as a broadcaster with RTE. He was the national broadcaster's "senior analyst" throughout its heyday both from its free-wheeling analysis days as well as a golden period for the Republic of Ireland men's national team. Advertisement Most read in Football Exclusive The panel of host Bill O'Herlihy, Giles and Eamon Dunphy was further bolstered by the addition of Liam Brady in 1998. Together, Giles, Dunphy and Brady became affectionately known as "The Three Amigos" in an era where their pre and post-match chat was often more entertaining than the games themselves. Arsenal announce new five-year contract for Myles Lewis-Skelly after Real Madrid eyed shock free transfer He was eventually given the boot by RTE at the conclusion of Euro 2016 when his contract was allowed to expire. But his voice is still heard on a weekly basis during his Thursday slot on Off the Ball. Advertisement Giles has been embedded at Newstalk's sports show since day one of the radio station's inception in 2002. WIFE AND CHILDREN Giles has been married to spouse Anne since 1966. The pair have six chilldren, four sons and two daughters. Two of their sons wound up following in their dad's footsteps by playing for Shamrock Rovers. Anne boasts fine sporting heritage herself as she is the sister of Irish sprinting legend Paul Dolan. Advertisement He represented Ireland at the 1948 and 1952 Olympic Games in London and Helsinki respectively.
