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13th Jun 2015

Our favourite combined Scottish and Irish XI ahead of this evening’s match

Now this is a good side

Paul Moore

Now this is a good side.

The Republic of Ireland resume their rivalry with Scotland this weekend as Martin O’Neill’s men look to avenge the 1-0 defeat in Glasgow.

A win in the Aviva would be a huge boost to Ireland’s chances of reaching Euro 2016 but Gordon Strachan’s men also know that three points could end their 17-year wait to qualify for a major tournament.

Martin O'Neill and Roy Keane 4/6/2014

There are going to be a few beers shared between the two sets of fans this weekend and we’ve decided to pick our favourite combined XI from both countries.

See, we’re good mates with the Scots, Braveheart says so.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kG9j5Io6yw

Tweet us @JOEdotie if you feel we’ve missed anyone.

In goal, it’s Shay Given ahead of Packie Bonner or Jim Leighton. The Donegal shot-stopper has been a stalwart of the Irish set-up and he has kept us in more games than I can even imagine.

He’s closing in on 130 caps and apart from his injury-woes at Euro 2012, he has rarely let us down.

Mick McCarthy 16/6/2002 DIGITAL

Denis Irwin is an all-time great who was one of the first full-backs that didn’t treat the ball like it was a grenade at his feet.

The fact that he regularly played for a Manchester United team that toppled all before them is testament to his talent and professionalism. Extremely versatile, he could score, tackle and get forward while never dropping his standards below the 7/10 mark.

Irwin-Utd

The same can be said of the man on the opposite flank, Steve Staunton. We’ll just forget about the management spell.

The Gaffer and Roberto Donadoni

Alan Hansen won eight league titles, three European Cups, two FA Cups and four League Cups but most importantly he could pass the ball out from the back and dominate any strikers.

His defensive partner needs no introduction. There are good defenders but there’s only one Paul McGrath.

mcgrath

We’ve had to alter our midfield to fit in the vast array of talents on offer but Graeme Souness and Roy Keane would actually frighten the living shite out of any opponents. The duo are leaders of men whose combative streak and sheer unbreakable will to win would be enough to inspire any side.

This tackle.

One thing that should never be overlooked is that both of these hard-men were also extremely good on the ball.

The physical presence of both Souness and Keane is offset by the guile, creativity and sheer godlike genius of Liam Brady and the two-footed Kenny Dalglish.

Michel Platini with Liam Brady 14/10/1981

Brady’s vision, control and incredible array of passing would make him a shoe-in for any side, regardless of the country, while Kenny Dalglish was nothing short of a genius.

King Kenny spearheaded a Liverpool attack that won six titles and three European Cups among others while his record for Scotland wasn’t too shabby at all; 30 goals in over 100 games.

Denis Law, European Footballer of the Year in a team that included Best and Charlton. If that wasn’t enough proof of his incredible pedigree then his international strike-rate certainly is. He grabbed 30 goals in 55 games. Wow.

Ireland

As for his strike partner? Well he’s currently Ireland’s record scorer, the highest male international scorer among active players and living his boyhood dream to be on a JOE list.