Ronnie Whelan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Ronnie Whelan

Whelan in 2013
Personal information
Full name	Ronald Andrew Whelan
Date of birth	(1961-09-25) 25 September 1961 (age 63)
Place of birth	Dublin, Ireland
Height	1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Youth career
	Home Farm
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1977–1979	Home Farm	45	(7)
1979–1994	Liverpool	362	(46)
1994–1996	Southend United	34	(1)
Total		441	(54)
International career
1979	League of Ireland XI	1	(1)
1981	Republic of Ireland U21	1	(0)
1994	Republic of Ireland B	1	(0)
1981–1995	Republic of Ireland	53	(3)
Managerial career
1995–1997	Southend United
1998–1999	Panionios
2000–2001	Olympiakos Nicosia
2002	Apollon Limassol
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Ronald Andrew Whelan (born 25 September 1961) is a former professional football player from Ireland. He mostly played as a midfielder but sometimes as a defender. Ronnie Whelan was a very important player for Liverpool during the 1980s. His team won many titles back then. He played for Liverpool from 1979 to 1994 and scored many important goals. In a poll of 110,000 Liverpool fans, Ronnie Whelan was voted the 30th best player to ever play for the club.

Whelan finished his playing career at Southend United. He was also the player-manager there, meaning he played and managed the team at the same time. After that, he managed football clubs in Greece and Cyprus, including Panionios, Olympiakos Nicosia, and Apollon Limassol.

Ronnie Whelan was also a key player for the Republic of Ireland national team. He played in one UEFA European Football Championship in 1988. He also played in two World Cups, in 1990 and 1994. He played for his country 53 times between 1981 and 1995.

Since he stopped playing and managing, Ronnie Whelan has started a career in media. He often appears on RTÉ Sport in Ireland as a football expert.

Early Life and First Steps in Football

Ronnie Whelan was born in Dublin, Ireland, into a family of footballers. His father, Ronnie Sr., was also an Irish international player. His dad was a big part of the successful St Patrick's Athletic team in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Ronnie's brother, Paul Whelan, also played football for clubs like Bohemian FC and Shamrock Rovers.

Ronnie Whelan was a very skilled and hardworking midfield player. He had a trial with Manchester United but it didn't work out. He played one game for their 'B' team and even scored a goal. Then, on his 16th birthday, he made his first professional appearance in the League of Ireland for Home Farm at Tolka Park.

In August 1979, Whelan scored a goal for a League of Ireland XI team. This was against the Basque Country at the San Mamés stadium.

Ronnie Whelan's Time at Liverpool

Ronnie Whelan joined Liverpool on 19 September 1979. He was signed by manager Bob Paisley for a low price of £35,000, just before his 18th birthday. He made his first team debut 18 months later, on 3 April 1981. He scored his first goal in that game, a 3–0 league win against Stoke City at Anfield. This was his only game for the first team that season, as he spent most of his early time in the reserve team.

Becoming a Key Player at Liverpool

In the next season, Whelan earned a regular spot on the left side of Liverpool's midfield. He took over the No. 5 shirt. It was a great season for him as he became a key first-team player. He helped Liverpool win another League championship. They also won the League Cup again, beating Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley. Whelan scored two goals in that 3–1 win, including the goal that tied the game late on and the winning goal in extra-time.

In 1983, Liverpool won both of these trophies again. Whelan scored the winning goal in the League Cup final once more. His curving shot into the Manchester United net secured a 2–1 win in extra-time. Whelan then played a big part in Liverpool winning three major trophies in 1984: the League title, the League Cup, and the European Cup. He was injured for some of that season, but still contributed greatly.

Winning the Double and Captaincy

After a season without trophies in 1985, Liverpool had a much better year in 1986 under new manager Kenny Dalglish. Liverpool won another League title and also added the FA Cup. Whelan helped set up two goals in their 3–1 victory over their local rivals Everton. This was the first time these two teams met in an FA Cup final. It was only the third time in the 20th century that a team won both the League and the FA Cup in the same season. Whelan also played very well in the league, scoring three goals in a 5–0 home win against Coventry City in April 1986.

The next season, Liverpool didn't win any trophies. They lost the League Cup Final to Arsenal and finished second to Everton in the league. The year after, Whelan moved to a central midfield role. This was after England winger John Barnes joined Liverpool. Liverpool played exciting football that season and won the league title, losing only two games all year. They also reached the FA Cup final, but Whelan missed out on playing in it due to an earlier injury.

An injury to the team captain, Alan Hansen, meant that Whelan became captain for most of the 1988–89 season. He really enjoyed this role as the club aimed for another "double" (winning two major trophies). During this difficult time, Whelan played a key role in leading the team both on and off the pitch. When Hansen recovered, Whelan kept the captaincy to provide stability. He was the one who lifted the FA Cup after a 3–2 win against Everton. However, Liverpool narrowly missed out on winning the League title that year. Arsenal won the championship on the final day of the season with a last-minute goal.

Later Years at Liverpool

Liverpool won the League again in 1990, with Whelan playing a central role for most of the season. However, he missed the last few games due to the first of several injuries. These injuries would affect the rest of his time at Liverpool. One memorable moment that season was when Whelan scored a very unusual own goal. He chipped a backpass from 30 yards over his own goalkeeper and into the net. Even so, Liverpool still won that match 2–1.

Whelan continued to be a regular first-team player the next season. But an injury in February 1991 ruled him out for the rest of the season. For the rest of his career at Anfield, Whelan was injured as often as he played. He missed much of the 1991–92 season due to injury. However, he returned to score a very important goal against Portsmouth in the FA Cup semi-final, which led to a replay that Liverpool won. Although he recovered from another small injury in time for the FA Cup final against Sunderland, he did not play in the game.

When Whelan was fit, manager Graeme Souness gave him many chances to play in the new Premier League for the 1992–93 and 1993–94 seasons. But this was a tough time for the club, as they finished sixth and then eighth in the Premier League. By the end of the 1993–94 season, Roy Evans had replaced Graeme Souness as manager. Evans decided not to offer Whelan a new contract.

In total, Ronnie Whelan played 493 first-team games for Liverpool, scoring 73 goals. He won six League championship titles, three FA Cups, one European Cup, and three League Cup medals during his time with the club.

Playing for Ireland

By the time he was 20, Ronnie Whelan had played for the Republic of Ireland national team at many different levels. He played for schoolboy, youth, amateur, Under-21, and senior teams.

Whelan was a regular player for the Republic of Ireland senior team. He made his debut on 29 April 1981. He came on as a substitute in the 63rd minute of a 3–1 win against Czechoslovakia at Lansdowne Road.

Whelan was part of the Irish team that qualified for the UEFA European Championship in 1988 in West Germany. He played in the famous game where Ireland beat England 1–0. In the next game, he scored a fantastic goal in a draw against the USSR. Ireland was knocked out of the competition after losing their final group game to the Netherlands.

The way Ireland played under manager Jack Charlton didn't always suit Whelan's precise midfield style. He came on as a substitute against Holland in his only appearance in the 1990 World Cup. He also played for less than half a game against Norway in his only 1994 World Cup match. In total, he played 53 times for his country and scored three goals.

Managerial Career

After leaving Liverpool in 1994, Ronnie Whelan joined Southend United. A year later, he became their player-manager. He was in charge until the end of the 1996–97 season, when the team was moved down a division.

Later, he worked with football clubs in Greece, like Panionios, and in Cyprus, like Apollon Limassol and Olympiakos Nicosia. His biggest success as a manager was with Panionios in 1999. His team reached the quarter-finals of a European competition, the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. They were eventually knocked out by S.S. Lazio.

Media Career

Ronnie Whelan now works as a football expert and speaker. He often appears on RTÉ Sport's football shows, including their coverage of the Premier League and UEFA Champions League. He was also part of RTÉ Sport's coverage for the 2010, 2014, 2016, 2020, and 2024 FIFA World Cups and UEFA European Championships.

Career Statistics

Club

International

See also

In Spanish: Ronnie Whelan para niños