35 years ago, a wee man from Derry made his own European memories.
Martin O’Neill was having plenty of fun at his pre-England press conference today – most of it at the media’s and John O’Shea’s expense (it was funny though, so it’s grand.)
The Republic of Ireland boss did take a nostalgic trip down memory lane though back to 1985 when Nottingham Forest won the European Cup for a second time.
That’s right, Adrian Chiles, he’s won it twice.
But O’Neill revealed that legendary manager, Brian Clough, had rather different tactics to those used by Hamburg to get his side ready for the final.
And that they just about paid off.
“It was a great evening,” the Ireland boss had a sparkle in his eye recalling the night. “One of the best evenings of all time, honestly. Seriously, to win the European Cup with Clough, something Real Madrid were winning way back in those days, it was fantastic.
“It was a really, really unbelievable moment to win it.
“We had spent the previous week – Clough had taken us off to Mallorca, with no curfew. While the Germans and Kevin Keegan were in a training camp.
“We won the game 1-0. I suppose, if they had equalised at any time, they would’ve won about 21-1, but they didn’t do. We won the game. And it is one of the great moments of my life.”
