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After being expelled from school for playing football for his country, fifteen-year-old Liam Brady travelled to London to join Arsenal, and soon became an indispensable part of their glorious 1970s team. Rightly considered one of the Republic of Ireland’s best-ever footballers, he went on to enjoy successes with Juventus, Sampdoria and West Ham, as well as managing Celtic and Brighton and Hove, and becoming assistant manager of his national team. Today he is best known for his much-respected TV punditry and searingly intelligent insights into the game he adores.
Full of honest insights, amusing anecdotes and recollections of extraordinary times, with Born to be a Footballer Brady delivers a compelling story of a fifty-year career that is unparalleled in Irish sport.
Liam Brady was born in Dublin in 1956 into a footballing family. Having displayed great potential as a young player he was recruited to Arsenal at the age of fifteen, and enjoyed huge success with the club until his move to Juventus in 1980. He continued his career in Italy playing with Sampdoria, Internazionale and Ascoli before returning to London and joining West Ham in 1987. With the Republic of Ireland he won 72 international caps over a 16-year career, and is considered one of the greatest footballers the country has ever produced. After retiring from the pitch he went on to manage Celtic and Brighton and Hove, and became Head of Youth Development at Arsenal. He was also assistant manager for the Republic of Ireland from 2008-2010. He has been a football analyst for RTÉ since 1998.