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McLoughlin: Windsor Park goal sent Ireland to America. INPHO

'A no-brainer': How England and Ireland both tried to call up Alan McLoughlin on the same day

McLoughlin calls on Irish players to follow in his footsteps on Monday.

TWENTY-FOUR YEARS ago, Alan McLoughlin was the hero who made Irish dreams come true and sent the country to the World Cup.

Now he’s calling on the current generation of Irish stars to seize their opportunity and slay the Welsh dragon in Cardiff on Monday night.

McLoughlin, who scored the historic equaliser that gave Ireland a 1-1 draw against Northern Ireland in Windsor Park and sent them to USA 94, recounted the story of how he was first called up to the Boys in Green.

“I got back to my house and I had two letters,” he said in a short video produced as part of Three’s #TheCallUp campaign.

“I opened up the first one and it was from England. I had been called up to the England B team to play the Republic of Ireland.

“I got about six letters down, a brown envelope. Thankfully I opened that up and it said that I had been called up to the Irish B team to play against England.

“It was a no-brainer, right from that moment.”

Three Ireland / YouTube

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    Mute Barry Smyth
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    Aug 16th 2013, 4:24 PM

    Given as your sub keeper kind of makes a mockery of the whole article

    27
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    Mute Prunes Harkin
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    Aug 16th 2013, 4:17 PM

    Never make a defender Captain… It’s a GOLDEN RULE, even if he has a double games week or is a potent goal scorer like Gary “The Doc” Doherty, you never make him a captain…
    It’s a negative tactic that limits your chance of getting the most out of your squad for that week!

    But good luck with it…

    23
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    Mute Fionn
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    Aug 16th 2013, 9:26 PM

    Goalkeeper: Gordon banks

    Defenders: cafu. Maldini. Roberto Carlos. Beckenbauer

    Midfield: Ronaldo. Ronaldinho. Kaka. Zico

    Strikers Messi. Pele. Real Ronaldo. Maradona And Fionn Dillon Kelly
    Managed by Steve Staunton.

    What do you think???

    13
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    Mute Declan Mccarthy
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    Aug 16th 2013, 5:52 PM

    It is not as simple as Rvp is worth two Ricky van Wolfswinkel. you still need another two forwards. Having Rvp means something like Rvp or Anelka over Soldado and Negredo/Benteke/Sturridge. I know which one i prefer. The second one is cheaper too

    My team is
    Mignolet, Lewis
    Terry, Toure, Collins, Michael Turner, Chester
    Hazard(c), Walcott, Michu, Mirallas, Jedinak
    Benteke, Soldado, Lukaku

    9
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    Mute Gavin Ahern
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    Aug 16th 2013, 7:13 PM

    Foster
    Toure Coleman Terry
    Coutinho Mirrales Hazard (c) Nolan
    RVP Lukaku Dzeko

    Gazzaniga Lucas Brayford Ramage

    7
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    Mute Owen Slattery
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    Aug 16th 2013, 8:39 PM

    Mata isn’t fully fit, despite being left out of the Spain squad, I doubt he will play both games in the double gameweek, Hazard is probably a better option.

    6
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    Mute Paul Morrissey
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    Aug 16th 2013, 5:16 PM

    Cech(V)
    Baines, Jagielka, Vertonghen, Assou-Ekotto
    Fellaini, Hoolahan, Carrick, Taarabt
    Berbatov,Van Persie(C)

    Vorn, Rodallega, Diame, O’Shea

    6
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    Mute SlyLad
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    Aug 16th 2013, 3:33 PM

    Alvaro Negredo I think.

    6
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    Mute SlyLad
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    Aug 16th 2013, 3:35 PM

    My team:

    Vorm azoplicueta kompany agger dembele kagawa coutinho Michu
    Rvp dzeko bony

    8
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    Mute Rory MacClancy
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    Aug 16th 2013, 5:04 PM

    Boruc
    Baker, Martin, Baines,
    Michu, Gerrard, Lampard(C), Hazard,
    Dzeko, RVP, Anelka.

    5
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    Mute Colin Byrne
    Favourite Colin Byrne
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    Aug 16th 2013, 5:45 PM

    Mignolet; Riether, Coleman, Zabaleta; Coutinho (v), Downing, Snodgrass, Hazard (c); Anelka, Sturridge, RvP.

    5
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    Mute Adam Everard
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    Aug 16th 2013, 4:52 PM

    that’s a brutal team.
    cech
    distan luiz mertesacker baines
    Mata cazorla silva diame
    dzeko giroud.

    5
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    Mute Allan O'Connor
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    Aug 16th 2013, 10:16 PM

    Mignolet Zabaleta Mertesacker Ivanovic(V) Azpillicuta Fellaini Hazard(C) Coutinho Anelka Aspas & RVP(natch).

    2
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    Mute Kevin Buston
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    Aug 16th 2013, 11:41 PM

    Gk mignolet

    Ivanovic vidic whittaker zabletta

    Y toure kagawa coutinho dembele

    Rvp Capt podolski

    Subs boruc baker shelvey anelka

    2
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    Mute Giller
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    Aug 17th 2013, 12:45 AM

    Here goes.

    Marshall (GKP)
    Baines (DEF)
    Ivanovic (DEF)
    Zabaleta (DEF)
    Shelvey (MID)
    Mata (MID)
    Coutinho (MID) vc
    Santi Cazorla (MID)
    Ba (FWD) cpt
    Bony (FWD)
    Anelka (FWD)

    Subs
    Boruc (GKP)
    Figueroa (DEF)
    Kim (MID)
    Diakité (DEF)

    2
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    Mute Anto Golden
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    Aug 16th 2013, 6:20 PM

    Lloris

    Walker Zabeleta Ivanovic Baines

    Couthino (C) Allen Ben Arfa

    Dzeko Benteke (V) Bony

    Given Mertszacker Cabaye Snodgrass

    2
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    Mute Robert O'Sullivan
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    Aug 17th 2013, 12:55 AM

    Mignolet

    Williams. Kompany Baines

    Santi Cazorla,Gerrard,Cabaye,Hazard,

    V.Wonswinkel, Benteke, Berbatov

    2
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    Mute David O'Sullivan
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    Aug 16th 2013, 5:44 PM

    Mannone.
    Ivanovic, Riether, Evans.
    Brady, Hoolahan, Garvan, Mata (c).
    Benteke, RVP, Soldado.

    1
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    Mute Stef Ruddell
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    Aug 16th 2013, 8:55 PM

    Begovic

    Baines Williams Luis Lugano

    Miralles (V)Hazard Cleverly

    Vydra (C)Van Persie Lukaku

    1
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    Mute Aaron Dillon™
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    Aug 16th 2013, 10:55 PM

    Starting 11:
    Lloris
    Vidic G.Johnson Luiz
    Nolan Walcott Essien Yaya Toure
    Lambert Rooney Podolski

    Subs : Davis Redmond Shaw Garrido

    1
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    Mute Fionn
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    Aug 16th 2013, 10:59 PM

    Nice team lad

    2
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