Pep Guardiola chose to rest both Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland as his Manchester City strode to a 4-1 victory over Aston Villa.
17.03.2024 - 08:15 / manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Until the last few years, Manchester United's first Irish captain had lain in an unmarked grave in an English cemetery for nearly half a century.
While former Ireland and Manchester United captain, Roy Keane, rightly deserves the plaudits for being one of the greatest captains in the club's history, there is another whose contribution was widely forgotten. Patrick O'Connell was a footballer whose on-field skills took him from Ireland to England and the Manchester United captaincy.
Patrick O'Connell was born in Dublin on March 8, 1887. From the age of 14 he worked in a mill while also playing junior football with local clubs, going on to play for Belfast Celtic. In 1909, O'Connell's talents were spotted and he transferred to the English game with Sheffield Wednesday at the heart of the club's defence.
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It was at Sheffield Wednesday that O'Connell made six international appearances for Ireland. The talented defender joined Hull City in 1909, making more appearances with Ireland, before joining Manchester United for a fee of £1,000 in 1914 - a huge sum at the time - becoming the first ever Irish captain of the club.
But it was while a player at United, O'Connell became embroiled in a betting scandal that rocked English football. By now the First World War had taken hold but the Football League season continued to a conclusion with United at the wrong end of the table and facing the drop.
The uncertainty around the prospect of football, and therefore wages, being stopped due to the War provided the backdrop for the scandal during an April game with mid-table Liverpool. United needed a win and they got it, prevailing 2-0.
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