EAMON DUNPHY INSISTED his fiery relationship with Jack Charlton was “never personal” as he wished the former Republic of Ireland manager a happy 80th birthday.
Big Jack celebrates the landmark on Friday — just one month short of the 25th anniversary of Ireland’s glorious Italia 90 campaign.
Tension between Charlton and Dunphy threatened to boil over at that World Cup, with the outspoken pundit famously declaring himself “embarrassed for the country” after the 0-0 draw against Egypt.
And Charlton walked out of a press conference a few days later when Dunphy, working for the Sunday Independent, tried to ask a question.
“He was great company but things soured when I started writing about the banishment of David O’Leary from the team,” Dunphy wrote in his column for the Irish Daily Star on Friday.
“Because we’d been friendly, Charlton took this as a shocking betrayal, and our relationship never recovered.
“So be it. When you are a journalist or a football analyst, you have a job to do. It’s not about being pals with everyone.
It was never personal with Jack. I just didn’t agree with what he was doing with Ireland.
“Your job as a football analyst is to call it as you see it. But I do think very fondly of Jack and if I were to meet him now, I’d shake his hand.”
– First published 15.38
You might try Eamonn, but he won’t shake yours!