Eamon Dunphy facts for kids
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Dunphy in 2013
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Eamon Martin Dunphy | ||
| Date of birth | 3 August 1945 | ||
| Place of birth | Dublin, Ireland | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 195x–1962 | Stella Maris | ||
| 1962–1965 | Manchester United | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1965–1966 | York City | 22 | (3) |
| 1965–1974 | Millwall | 274 | (24) |
| 1973–1975 | Charlton Athletic | 42 | (3) |
| 1975–1977 | Reading | 77 | (3) |
| 1977–1978 | Shamrock Rovers | 33 | (2) |
| Total | 448 | (35) | |
| International career | |||
| 1965–1971 | Republic of Ireland | 23 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Eamon Martin Dunphy (born 3 August 1945) is a well-known Irish media personality, journalist, and former professional footballer. He grew up playing football for youth teams like Stella Maris. After he stopped playing football, he became famous on Irish television. He worked as a football expert for shows covering the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, and international football on RTÉ.
Besides his work with RTÉ, Dunphy also worked for other TV and radio stations. He presented a chat show and a game show on TV3. He also worked for radio stations like Today FM and Newstalk. He was the first host of The Last Word on Today FM. He also hosted a breakfast show on Newstalk 106 and a weekly program on RTÉ Radio 1. Today, Dunphy continues to write a football column for the Irish Daily Star newspaper and hosts his own podcast called The Stand.
Contents
Early Life and Football Beginnings
Eamon Dunphy grew up in Drumcondra, Dublin. He described his childhood home as a simple flat. He went to Saint Patrick's National School in Drumcondra. In 1958, he received a scholarship for one year to Sandymount High School. During this time, he also worked as a messenger at a clothing shop.
Starting His Football Journey
Dunphy was a promising young footballer. While still a teenager, he left Dublin to join Manchester United as an apprentice. An apprentice is a young player learning the game.
Professional Football Career
Eamon Dunphy did not play for Manchester United's main team. He then moved on to play for several other clubs. These included York City, Millwall, Charlton Athletic, Reading, and Shamrock Rovers.
Time at Millwall
He made a big impact at Millwall. People saw him as a smart and skilled player in the team's midfield. Dunphy was part of the "Class of '71" at Millwall. This team almost got promoted to the top division of English football, missing out by just one point.
Joining Shamrock Rovers
In 1977, Dunphy moved back to Ireland to join Shamrock Rovers. He joined with Johnny Giles, another famous footballer. Giles wanted Shamrock Rovers to be Ireland's first full-time professional club. He hoped to make the club strong in European football by developing young Irish players. Dunphy was supposed to help with youth development.
Leaving Football
Even though he won an FAI Cup medal in 1978, his only senior medal, Dunphy became unhappy with Irish football. He decided to leave the sport completely. He then focused on starting a new career in journalism.
Playing for Ireland
Eamon Dunphy played 23 times for the Republic of Ireland. He was Millwall's most capped international player with 22 caps for a long time. A "cap" means playing a game for your country. Later, David Forde and Shane Ferguson played more games for their countries while at Millwall.
He played his first game for Ireland on 10 November 1965. This was a play-off match for the 1966 FIFA World Cup against Spain. Spain won the game 1–0. Dunphy described himself as "a good player, not a great player."
Journalism Career
After he stopped playing football, Dunphy started writing about the sport. He wrote for the Sunday Tribune and then for the Sunday Independent. He wrote regular columns about football and current events. He still writes a football column for the Irish Daily Star newspaper. He also worked for other newspapers like Ireland on Sunday and the Irish Examiner.
Books Written by Dunphy
Since the 1980s, Eamon Dunphy has written several books. His first and most famous book is Only a Game? The Diary of a Professional Footballer. This book shares his experiences playing for Millwall. It is written like a diary and describes what happened in the team's changing room during the 1973–74 season.
In 1985, the rock band U2 asked him to write their story. His book, Unforgettable Fire - Past, Present, and Future - The Definitive Biography of U2, was published in 1988. It received some good reviews. Dunphy also wrote a book about Matt Busby, a long-serving manager for Manchester United. In 2002, he helped write the autobiography of Irish and Manchester United player Roy Keane.
Broadcasting Career
Eamon Dunphy has been a regular football expert on Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ) since the mid-1980s. He often appears on Premier Soccer Saturday to discuss English football. He also provides analysis for UEFA Champions League games. For international football, he covers FIFA World Cups, UEFA European Football Championships, and matches involving the Republic of Ireland national football team. He was part of RTÉ Sport's coverage of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
Television Shows
In 2001, he became the first male host of the quiz show The Weakest Link on TV3. He hosted it for one season. In 2003, TV3 hired him again to host a new Friday night chat show called The Dunphy Show. This show competed with RTÉ's popular The Late Late Show. Dunphy's show did not get as many viewers and was cancelled.
He also presented a show for the 3 mobile network in Ireland. His segments, like "Spoofer of the Week," were watched by many mobile customers. These shows won an award for "Best Entertainment Show" at Ireland's Digital Media Awards.
In July 2018, Dunphy announced he was leaving RTÉ after 40 years. He said he wanted to focus on his podcast, The Stand with Eamon Dunphy.
Radio Work
Dunphy has also had a successful career in radio. He worked for stations like Today FM, Newstalk, and RTÉ Radio 1.
He was the first host of the popular current affairs show The Last Word on Today FM in 1997. In September 2004, he took over The Breakfast Show on Newstalk 106. He later left Newstalk 106 in June 2006. He then joined RTÉ Radio 1 to present a new weekly program. He rejoined Newstalk but left again in 2011.
Personal Life
Eamon Dunphy was born on 3 August 1945. He was married to Sandra, and they had two children, a boy and a girl. He is now a grandfather. His first marriage ended. He later met his second wife, Jane Gogan, in Dublin in 1992. They got married in 2009.
In an interview, Dunphy stated that he supports Sinn Féin, a political party. He said he voted for them in the 2011 general election. He described their representatives as "incredibly hard-working and incredibly intelligent."
He published his autobiography, The Rocky Road, in October 2013. Today, Dunphy mainly lives at his home near Ranelagh in Dublin. He also has a holiday home in Deauville, France. In May 2017, he shared that he is a supporter of Liverpool football club.
