It’s been 30 years Republic of Ireland’s famous victory over Italy at the 1994 World Cup, Ray Houghton still remembers the occasion as vividly as ever.
A tough-tackling tenacious midfield player, Houghton enjoyed a superb career in England, turning out over 500 times for clubs such as Liverpool, West Ham United and Aston Villa to name a few.
Despite being born just a stone’s throw from Glasgow, the former Reading man opted to represent The Boys in Green, which led him to the experience of a lifetime, on the biggest stage of them all.
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His early strike ensured a famous victory for the Republic of Ireland, with the Italians boasting names such as Paolo Maldini and Roberto Baggio in their ranks at the time.
Knocked out in the Round of 16 by the Netherlands, Ireland’s campaign will forever be etched into the memory of many supporters watching on, or even in attendance Stateside, something Houghton can remember ever so vividly.
“We didn’t have to defend as much in this game as we did against England [at World Cup 1990] but, again, we led early on through my 11th-minute goal,” he said speaking to FourFourTwo.
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“We had chances to make it 2-0: I had one and then John Sheridan hit the crossbar. The heat in New Jersey was unbelievable and we each had to be weighed after training.
Houghton is mobbed by his team-mates after scoring the only goal of the game in New Jersey.
“Some of the bigger lads were shedding eight or nine pounds during a session due to the scorching temperatures.
“The crowd at Giants Stadium was about 75 per cent Irish, and I think that unlikely victory helped to ignite a passion for football for many people in the USA as well as in Ireland.
“At the time, a lot of Irish sports fans were more interested in hurling, but everybody bought into that World Cup and what we achieved. Beating Italy put football on the map.”
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