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Don Givens |
Don Givens - Caretaker
Irish Soccer Manager
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Don
Givens has stepped in as caretaker manager of the Irish senior
soccer team on two separate occasions. Givens is a former Irish
international and spent almost ten years as the Republic of Ireland
Under 21's manager.
Givens who hails from Limerick is
known for his fiery temperament and his passionate commitment to
Irish soccer. During his playing career and his management of Irish
teams he has been involved in controversy including sendings off
and disagreements with players.
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Don Givens Football Background
Don Givens was born in Limerick on
9th August 1949. A centre forward, Givens began his English football
career with Manchester
United. He only made eight appearances before he transferred
to Luton Town. It is as a Queens Park Rangers player that he is
best remembered. Givens made over 240 appearances for QPR scoring
76 goals.
Following six years with QPR he transferred
to Birmingham City and made 59 appearances scoring ten goals. He
then spent short periods with Bournemouth, on loan, and Sheffield
United.
Don Givens' last football club was
Neuchâtel Xamax in Switzerland. He made almost 150 appearances
for the Swiss outfit and scored 34 goals. Givens retired from playing
football in 1987.
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Don Givens - International Career
Don Givens made his debut for the Republic
of Ireland on 27th May 1969 in a 1970
World Cup qualifier against Denmark. The Irish team lost 2-0 and it
would be another 12 matches and more than three years before Givens would
taste victory in the green jersey of Ireland. Don Givens scored his first
goal for Ireland in his second match in June 1969 in a home match against
Hungary.
Givens announced himself on the international
football stage with a outstanding hat trick in a sensational 3-0 victory
over a powerful USSR side in a 1976
European championship qualifier. Almost exactly one year later Givens
repeated the feat once again at Dalymount
Park. In fact he went one better by scoring four goals against Turkey
and scoring the fastest
Irish international hat trick in the process. It is also the most
goals ever scored by an Irish international in a single match. Don Givens
went on to become the highest Irish goal scorer with 19 goals from 56
matches. He has subsequently joined on 19 goals by Tony Cascarino, and
been eclipsed by Frank
Stapleton, Niall
Quinn, and Robbie
Keane. Givens last match for the Republic of Ireland was on 14th October
1981 in a 3-2 win over France at Dalymount Park in the 1982
World Cup qualifiers.
Don Givens as Caretaker Republic of Ireland
Manager
Don Givens was appointed the Republic of
Ireland Under-21 manager in 2000 and he held this position until March
2010. On two separate occasions he was asked to take charge of the senior
team in a caretaker capacity. Following the the resignation of Mick
McCarthy as Irish manager in November 2002 Givens managed the Irish
team for a friendly match against Greece in Athens. The match ended scoreless.
Givens was once again appointed as caretaker
manager of the Republic of Ireland following the dismissal of Stephen
Staunton in October 2007. This was for the final match of the Euro
2008 qualifiers against Wales on 17th November 2007. The Irish team
was well out of contention by this stage and the match ended in a 2-2
draw with Robbie Keane and Kevin Doyle scoring the goals for Ireland.
He also managed Ireland in a friendly match against Brazil in February
2008. Brazil won the encounter 0-1 at Croke Park.
Don Givens' Record as Irish Manager
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Played
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Won
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Drew
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Lost
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Goals For
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Goals Against
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Win Ratio
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3
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0
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2
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1
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2
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3
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0%
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| Home Team |
Result
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Away Team |
Date & Venue |
Competition |
| Greece |
0:0 (0:0)
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Ireland |
20/11/2002 Athens |
Friendly Match |
| Wales |
2:2 (1:1)
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Ireland |
17/11/2007 Cardiff |
2008 Euro Qualifier |
| Ireland |
0:1 (0:0)
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Brazil |
06/02/2008 Dublin |
Friendly Match |
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