Squad Profiles - Legends of the Game

DANNY BLANCHFLOWER was not just a wonderfully gifted footballer but also one of the most tactically aware players of his generation.

Had he been alive today he would likely have been the first to admit he was never the quickest on the park or the most ferocious in the tackle, but what he did have in abundance was a natural ability to pass a ball and an aptitude for being able to change tactics in the course of a game. 

Danny’s illustrious career began when he joined Glentoran just after the end of the war, though a move into the English game did not arrive until April 1949 when Barnsley paid the Glens £6,500 for the then 23 year-old. 

His first cap for Ireland (as we were still known then) arrived just six months later, though he had an inauspicious start to his international career as Scotland left Windsor with a resounding 8-2 victory.
In March 1951 Aston Villa procured his services for a fee of £15,000 and three years later he was on the move again, this time to Spurs for twice that amount. 

During his 10-year reign as skipper at White Hart Lane he guided Spurs to the League and Cup double in 1961 another FA Cup in 1962, and a European Cup Winners’ Cup triumph over Athletico Madrid in 1963, while also adding ‘Footballer of the Year’ to his list of honours in both 1958 and 1961. 

Undoubtedly Danny’s greatest ever achievement on the International stage was when he captained his country to the last eight of the World Cup in Sweden in 1958. He was also the first Irishman to achieve a half century of caps when he played against Wales in 1962. 

Injury blighted the final 18 months of his playing career and he finally retired from the game in the summer of 1964. 

A witty, rational and intelligent man, Danny then began a career in journalism with the Sunday Express. During his 24-year spell with the paper, he gained a reputation for being outspoken and openly attacked the football establishment. 

He had a short unproductive two-year stint in charge of the Northern Ireland team, the highlight of which was his first match in charge in 1976 when a George Best inspired Irish side held the 1974 World Cup runners-up Holland to a 2-2 draw in Rotterdam. 

Danny also had a brief excursion into club management with Chelsea in December 1978, but he resigned after only nine months citing disillusion with the absence of loyalty and integrity within the game. 

In his later years he suffered from Alzheimer’s Disease, which finally claimed his life in December 1993.