Jack Byrne was indeed a full-time professional when he was capped for Ireland, as were other LOI-capped players like Crowe, Jason Byrne and Joe Gamble.
But an amateur HAS played for Ireland in more recent(ish) times. That would be Joe Lapira...
Probably the most interesting question here is how to maximise how you use Kane/Shearer. Probably Kane would be able to do Sheringham's role in the 96' 4-1-4-1 quite well, but is that the best use of him? As two 9s up top, would he and Shearer...
Martin Keown had two spells at Arsenal - left after breaking through in the 80s to develop at other clubs and came back in the 90s to take his place in that famous defence.
The Aguero goal is undeniable but modern City are so dully inevitable they don't lend themselves to moments. Was it two seasons ago they came back from 2-0 down on the last day to snatch the league away from Liverpool? Couldn't tell you what one...
Inspired by this tweet:
In modern football you see everything of note, often seconds after it happened. It takes a very dedicated football fan to go back and watch old matches in full, but whether it's through social media, pre-game packages...
City's inevitable procession to the title every year is partly because they ALWAYS have a couple of games in hand on the teams around them.
I'd go as far as to say the only reason Guardiola bothers with the FA Cup is to bank a few league games...
I could have sworn that Chelsea didn't have much to play for, and that the race was down to Liverpool and City by this point, making the implosion all the funnier. I suppose they both had much better goal difference, plus City's game in hand.
Sadly Bazunu has done his achilles and is out of action until next year. Huge blow for his development you'd think, unless you're a well established name it's very hard to win your spot back as a keeper after a long injury.
The best way that a club can show that it's being run in a new way is actually running it in that new way and focusing on that rather than trying to send a message of "zero tolerance".
Getting rid of a marquee player who crossed the manager...
The idea of a "statement sale" would be just as indicitive of the psychodrama United have been caught in as any of the "statement signings" of the previous regime.
Selling a player primarily to punish them and teach everyone else a lesson would...