Latest news with #JohnnyGiles
Irish Daily Mirror
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
End of an era as Johnny Giles announces his retirement from punditry
The legendary Johnny Giles has this evening announced his retirement from punditry. Giles has graced Irish screens and airways for many decades and has long been heralded as one of the most respected analysts in the land. The former Leeds United star was the face of RTE's soccer punditry from the 1980's until his retirement from television work in 2016. He has formed part of Newstalk's soccer coverage for over two decades, and spoke on Off the Ball this evening about his career breaking down the best players in the game. "I was really lucky. I fell into the television. Eamon [Dunphy] helped me a lot in that," Giles said on radio this evening. "When you're doing the job I was trying to do, you have to watch all the matches. You can't make it up as you go along. "I think it got to the stage where I was getting a bit stale trying to watch as many matches as I could and it became hard work. "Football has never been hard work to me, I have always loved it but there are so matches. "Even in the summer now, you see the teams over in America [for the Club World Cup]. "I have had a good run of it. I am 84, nearly 85. "I have enjoyed it. I loved playing. I fell into to the television, I had no intention of doing that when I was actually playing the football. "No complaints whatsoever." A legend of Irish soccer, Giles is regarded as one of the best players that this country has ever produced. He enjoyed a glittering playing career for the likes of Manchester United and Leeds, and on the International scene, he played 59 times for Ireland, operating as a player manager for the last six years of his time with the Boys in Green. After retiring from football, Giles took on the role of pundit with RTE and was synonymous with the Irish soccer team for many decades. Alongside Eamon Dunphy, Liam Brady and host Bill O'Herlihy, Giles was a key cog in the golden era of Irish punditry, an era that even now is very fondly remembered.
RTÉ News
27-05-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Leeds United to meet AC Milan in Dublin in August
Leeds United will take on AC Milan at the Aviva Stadium in a pre-season friendly in on Saturday, 9 August. It will be Leeds' final friendly before their return to the Premier League a week later. The fixture will serve as an international date for Milan ahead of the Serie A season, which is set to kick off on the weekend of 23 August. It will be the first time the two sides have met since the UEFA Champions League group stages in the 2000/2001 season, having only ever met three times in all competitions previously. Leeds, who return to Dublin after nine years, have had many Irish internationals pass through their ranks in the form of Johnny Giles, Robbie Keane, Ian Harte and Gary Kelly. Kelly, who played 462 times for Leeds and amassed 52 caps for Republic of Ireland commented: "It's going to be an exciting game and certainly a great test for this Leeds side before their Premier League campaign kicks off. "I have great memories of the last time we played Milan, captaining the side against them in the Champions League. "Obviously as a proud Irishman I am delighted this fixture is coming to Dublin, which I know the locals will welcome, packing out the Aviva Stadium and creating a great atmosphere." The game kicks off at 3pm.
