Liam Brady set for €500k windfall following liquidation of media firm

Liam Brady Media Limited had handled the former Arsenal star’s earnings from television punditry prior to his retirement from RTÉ Sport in June 2023. File picture

Irish football legend Liam Brady is in line for a €500,000 windfall after voluntarily winding up his media company.

Liam Brady Media Limited was officially dissolved yesterday after a liquidator filed a final statement of accounts to the Companies Office.

The firm had handled the former Arsenal star’s earnings from television punditry prior to his retirement from RTÉ Sport in June 2023. It had accumulated profits of almost €570,000 by the end of that year.

Accounts filed to the Companies Office show that Brady is set for a pre-tax windfall of €502,000 after creditors received €51,685 and liquidation costs of around €7,000 were settled.

Brady, aged 70, was the sole shareholder in the company, while his son, Micheál, aged 37, and his nephew, Eamonn, aged 51, were listed as directors.

The Dubliner began his professional football career with Arsenal, winning the FA Cup and becoming the first foreigner to be named Players’ Player of the Year in 1979. He signed for Juventus the following year for just over £500,000.

He won two Italian championships with the club in 1981 and 1982, but moved to Sampdoria after they signed Michel Platini. He also played for Internazionale and Ascoli in Italy before signing for West Ham in 1987.

After hanging up his boots in 1990, Brady had unsuccessful spells as manager of Celtic and Brighton and Hove Albion. He rejoined Arsenal as head of youth development in 1996 and remained in this role until 2016.

Having been capped for the Republic of Ireland 72 times, scoring nine goals, he became assistant manager of the international side under Giovanni Trapattoni in 2008, stepping down in April 2010.

Liam Brady's punditry career

Brady’s career as a pundit began on the BBC during the 1990 World Cup after Jack Charlton declined his offer to come out of retirement for the tournament.

He debuted on RTÉ during the 1998 World Cup and became part of an iconic panel with John Giles and Eamon Dunphy.

Announcing his retirement from television punditry in 2023, Brady said: “I have had the most amazing time working on RTÉ’s football coverage over the last 25 years and it is now fitting that I draw it to a close.

“I started with the World Cup in 1998 with my great friends, Eamon, John and Bill [O’Herlihy]. We had great fun together in between the arguments.”