Kevin Sheedy (Irish footballer)

Kevin Mark Sheedy (born 21 October 1959) is an Irish former footballer. He is currently working with the junior players in Saudi Arabia at Al-Shabab.[1]

Kevin Sheedy
Personal information
Full name Kevin Mark Sheedy
Date of birth (1959-10-21) 21 October 1959
Place of birth Builth Wells, Wales
Playing position(s) Left midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Al-Shabab (youth)
Youth career
Hereford Lads Club
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1975–1978 Hereford United 51 (4)
1978–1982 Liverpool 3 (0)
1982–1992 Everton 274 (67)
1992–1993 Newcastle United 37 (4)
1993–1994 Blackpool 26 (1)
Total 391 (76)
National team
1978–1981 Rep. Ireland Under-21 5 (0)
1984–1993 Republic of Ireland 46 (9)
Teams managed
2001 Tranmere Rovers (caretaker-manager)
2016–2017 Everton U18
2017– Al-Shabab (youth)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

He spent the largest portion of his playing career with Everton – with whom he won the FA Cup, European Cup Winners' Cup and two Football League titles – and also played for Hereford United, Liverpool, Newcastle United and Blackpool. Born in Builth Wells, Wales, he played 46 times for the Republic of Ireland national football team and scored the country's first ever goal in a FIFA World Cup finals.

Playing career

Club career

After playing for Hereford Lads Club as a boy,[2] Sheedy started his career with Hereford United, followed by a short spell with Liverpool, but played just three competitive games in four years and was sold to Everton for £100,000 in 1982.[3] At Everton he made 357 appearances (12 as substitute) and scored 97 goals.

Sheedy's most notable achievements were as part of Everton's title winning teams in 1985 and 1987, and in 1985 the European Cup Winners' Cup, scoring in the final itself. In the 1980s Sheedy scored the most goals from free-kicks in the top-flight of the English football league. Perhaps his most famous free-kick moment came in an FA Cup tie against Ipswich Town in 1985 when he scored with a 19-yard free-kick into goalkeeper Paul Cooper's right-hand corner, but having been forced to re-take the kick, proceeded to curl the ball into the keeper's left-hand corner. He was selected in the PFA Team of the Year in both Everton championship winning years of 1985 and 1987.

Sheedy left Goodison Park in 1992 after 10 years on a free transfer to join Newcastle United, and helped them win the Division One title, and promotion to the Premier League, in 1992–93. He ended his career with Blackpool in the 1993–94 Division Two campaign.

International career

Although born in Wales, Sheedy held Irish citizenship from birth and chose to play for the Republic of Ireland. His Irish citizenship stemmed form the fact that his father was from County Clare.[4] He played 46 times for Ireland scoring nine goals, including one in a game in the 1990 World Cup against England. Ireland drew all three of their group games to qualify for the last 16 of the tournament, and subsequently beat Romania 5–4 on penalties, Sheedy scoring the first of Ireland's penalties. Ireland went on to lose 1–0 to hosts Italy in the quarter-final of the FIFA World Cup.

Sheedy was also part of the Euro 88 squad and played all 3 matches. He is also noted as the first-ever Republic of Ireland player to score a goal in the World Cup finals.[4]

Post-playing career

Since retiring from playing, Sheedy has been assistant manager at Tranmere Rovers (and a short spell as joint-caretaker-manager) and Hartlepool United. He joined Everton's coaching staff in July 2006, where he coaches the Academy team.[5]

In late August 2012 Sheedy was diagnosed with bowel cancer.[6][7] He revealed to the media that his family had a history of the disease[8]

Honours
Liverpool
  • Football League Cup (1): 1982
Everton
Newcastle United
Awards
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See also

References
  1. Exclusive - Ireland legend Kevin Sheedy on why he quit Everton and his new life in Saudi Arabia‚ independent.ie, 21 September 2017.
  2. Former Everton player Kevin Sheedy talks about his former clubs Lads Club and Hereford Hereford Times, 13 July 2017.
  3. "Greatest Ever Everton Team XI: Kevin Sheedy – Left Wing". Everton FC. Archived from the original on 10 May 2011. Retrieved 21 September 2009.
  4. "Best & Worst: Kevin Sheedy". Sunday Times. 13 June 2010. Retrieved 21 June 2010.
  5. "Everton Yth V Man City Yth". Everton F.C. 21 February 2009. Retrieved 21 September 2009.
  6. "Kevin Sheedy to undergo surgery after being diagnosed with cancer". RTÉ News. 22 August 2012.
  7. "Italia '90 hero Kevin Sheedy diagnosed with bowel cancer". Irish Independent. 4 December 2012.
  8. "Everton academy coach Kevin Sheedy diagnosed with bowel cancer". The Guardian. London. 22 August 2012.
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