Eamonn O'Keefe facts for kids

Eamonn Gerard O'Keefe (born 13 October 1953) is a former professional football player. He was born in England but played for the Republic of Ireland. He mainly played as a forward, scoring many goals. Later in his career, he also played in midfield.

Eamonn started his career in smaller, "non-League" clubs like Stalybridge Celtic and Hyde United. He even played in Saudi Arabia for a short time before returning to England. He became well-known for his success at Mossley, which led to him joining a big club, Everton, in 1979.

After Everton, he played for several other teams, including Wigan Athletic, Port Vale, and Blackpool. He helped Blackpool get promoted to a higher division. He also worked as a player-manager for Cork City in Ireland, where his team won two important cups. He finished his playing career in 1991.

Eamonn also played for his country. He represented the England Semi-Pro team and later played for the Republic of Ireland under-21s. He earned five caps for the senior Republic of Ireland team between 1981 and 1985, scoring one goal.

Eamonn's Football Journey

Early Days and First Steps

Eamonn O'Keefe grew up in Blackley, Manchester. When he was young, he was a ball boy at Old Trafford, the home stadium of Manchester United. He was almost ready to join Manchester United's youth team, but he broke his leg during a school game.

After he recovered, he joined Stalybridge Celtic. He played as a right-back and was even named the club's Player of the Year. This success gave him a chance to play in the Football League. He joined Plymouth Argyle in 1974. However, his manager there told him he wouldn't be a main player, so Eamonn left and went back to Manchester.

In 1975, he signed with Hyde United. He was a great goal scorer for them, getting 19 goals in 36 games.

An Adventure in Saudi Arabia

In 1975, Eamonn had a unique opportunity to try out for Al-Hilal, a top team in Saudi Arabia. He impressed them and became the first European player to sign a professional contract in Saudi Arabia. The club president was very generous, buying Eamonn a car and taking him on a fancy trip around Europe. However, Eamonn faced an unexpected and uncomfortable situation there. Because of this, he decided he needed to leave Saudi Arabia quickly for his safety. He managed to convince the president he needed to visit his sick father (who was actually fine) and then left the country. He later got help from The Football Association to sort out his contract.

Success with Mossley

After returning to England, Eamonn joined Mossley in December 1976. His manager at Mossley saw his speed and goal-scoring ability, so he played Eamonn as an attacking midfielder. In the 1978–79 season, Mossley won the Northern Premier League and the Premier League Cup. This was a huge success for the club, their first big win in 70 years! While playing part-time, Eamonn also worked as a van driver for a newspaper.

Playing for Everton

In 1979, Everton, a top-division club, signed Eamonn for £25,000. He even played in the famous Merseyside derby against Liverpool. In an FA Cup game against Liverpool, he helped set up a goal that led to Everton winning 2–1. He also scored the winning goal in another FA Cup match. Sadly, he broke his leg in a game against Manchester United, which was a tough setback.

Moving to Wigan and Port Vale

Eamonn recovered from his injury and signed a new contract with Everton. However, he didn't play as much under the new manager, so he asked to leave. In January 1982, he moved to Wigan Athletic for £65,000. He helped Wigan get promoted from the Fourth Division to the Third Division in his first season.

In 1983, Eamonn joined Port Vale. He was their top scorer with 11 goals and was named the club's Player of the Year in his first season. He even helped save two children when a fence collapsed during an FA Cup game.

Goals and Promotion at Blackpool

In March 1985, Eamonn joined Blackpool. He made an immediate impact, scoring in his first game. He scored six goals in ten games that season, helping Blackpool get promoted to the Third Division.

The next season, 1985–86, was fantastic for Eamonn. He scored 17 goals in just 19 league starts, including three goals in one game (a hat-trick). He was the club's top scorer that season. Unfortunately, he had to retire from professional football in 1986 due to an injury.

Player-Manager at Cork City

In 1987, Eamonn became the player-manager for Cork City in Ireland. This meant he played for the team and managed them at the same time. His team won the pre-season Munster Senior Cup and the League of Ireland Cup in 1988. He also helped the club with its finances by organizing special dinner events with famous football guests. He was later let go from Cork City because the club was facing money problems.

Later Career and Retirement

After Cork City, Eamonn played a few games for St Patrick's Athletic. In 1989, he came out of retirement to play for Chester City, where he also worked as a commercial manager. He scored in his first game for Chester against his old club, Blackpool. He then played briefly for Bangor City before finally retiring from football in 1991.

International Football

Playing for England and Ireland

In May 1979, Eamonn played for the England semi-pro team, even scoring the winning goal in a tournament final.

However, in 1981, he got an Irish passport because his father was born in Ireland. This allowed him to play for the Republic of Ireland. He made his debut against Wales. But after that game, FIFA (the world football organization) said he couldn't play for Ireland anymore because he had already played for England's semi-pro team. This rule meant he couldn't play for either country!

Return to International Play

In 1983, FIFA changed its mind and allowed Eamonn to play for Ireland again. He joined the Republic of Ireland under-21 team for a friendly tournament in France. He scored four goals against the Chinese team, making him the top scorer in the competition. His great performances earned him a spot on the senior Republic of Ireland team.

He played for the senior team in the 1984 Kirin Cup and scored the only goal in the semi-final against China. He also played in a World Cup qualifier against the Soviet Union in 1984, which Ireland won 1–0. His last international game was a friendly against England at Wembley in 1985. He earned a total of five caps for the Republic of Ireland senior team.

Life After Football

After retiring from football, Eamonn O'Keefe became a social worker. He helped adults with disabilities and children who were in care. For a while, he lived in Portugal with his wife, Lorna, and worked in property. His son, Paul, also played football in the youth team at Manchester United, but he didn't become a professional player.

In April 2006, Eamonn was honored by being inducted into the Hall of Fame at Blackpool Football Club. Fans voted for their favorite players, and Eamonn was chosen for his contributions in the 1980s.

As of 2019, Eamonn is semi-retired and lives near Manchester. He still works part-time for his former club, Everton.

His Book

In 2010, Eamonn wrote his autobiography, a book about his life, called ... I Only Wanted to Play Football. His wife, Lorna, encouraged him to write it and helped edit the book.

Career Statistics

Club Statistics

Source:

International Statistics

Awards and Achievements

Individual

• Stalybridge Celtic F.C. Player of the Year: 1974
• Port Vale F.C. Player of the Year: 1984
• Blackpool F.C. Hall of Fame: 2006

Team Honours

• Northern Premier League: 1978–79 (with Mossley)
• Premier League Cup: 1979 (with Mossley)
• Football League Fourth Division promotion: 1981–82 (with Wigan Athletic)
• Football League Fourth Division promotion: 1984–85 (with Blackpool)
• Munster Senior Cup: 1988 (with Cork City)
• League of Ireland Cup: 1988 (with Cork City)

See also

• List of Republic of Ireland international footballers born outside the Republic of Ireland