Gary Cooke talks to football legend and RTE Sports analysts John Giles about his life and his autobiography “John Giles: A Football Man”

Johnny Giles is a true Irish soccer great.

Like some great Irish internationals that played before and after him it is something of a tragedy that this midfielder never graced a major football championship finals.
However throughout his career as a Leeds United footballer he became one of the most decorated players to emerge from Ireland. He has league winners medals and various cup winners medals and is one of a small band of Irish footballers to ever play in a European Cup final.

Johnny Giles made his debut in 1959 against Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford lining up with Munich survivors Bobby Charlton and Harry Gregg. Unfortunately United lost 5-1 on the day however the young Giles went on to play for the first team in nine more matches.

For the the next four years everything was on the up. Although United struggled to avoid relegation in 1963 they won the FA Cup that year beating Leicester City 3-1 in the final. Leicester had finished fourth in the league so United were not expected to win. It was Johnny Giles first senior winners medal and all seemed fine. Later that Summer Giles had been transferred to second division Leeds United.