How Ireland paid the penalty in 2002

Gaizka Mendieta is the man who broke Irish hearts at the the 2002 World Cup, his spot-kick in a penalty shoot-out bringing to an end a marathon battle in Suwon, South Korea.

If Mendieta’s effort proved decisive for Spain, it was only by a matter of inches, his shot passing perilously close to the diving Shay Given. Not that it was a miskick, the player insists today.

“No, no, it was the way I took penalties,” he says. “I used to look at the goalkeepers. They usually move earlier than you kick.

“I saw Given going to his right. It depends on the timing. If you have more time to hit it, you can go closer or wider but because he was so close, the shot went too close.

“Even for myself when I saw the ball I thought it was too close. But it was a bit in the air. It went over his boots and went in.

“It’s a great memory because, well, it meant obviously going through and winning. But it was a really, really tight game. We really struggled.

“With Ian Harte missing that penalty during the game and then the shootout, we were really feeling the pressure and there was a sense that anything could happen.”

Famously, then Ireland manager MickMcCarthy was unaware that, after injury and substitutions, the Spanish were down to ten men in extra time.

“What I remember is we were sitting back on our halfway line and Ireland were having more of the ball and creating chances,” Mendieta recalls.

“We were trying to get forward on the counter-attack because we were a man down. And maybe they (Ireland) should haveattacked more than they did. When you’re playing against a team with one man less you have to assess the situation very quickly and take advantage of that. I don’t think they did.”

Although he never got to play for Athletic, the Bilbao-born Mendieta, who now lives inMiddlebrough having ended his professional career on Teeside, is delighted to see his hometown club carrying a 2-3 lead into the second leg of their Europa League tie against ManchesterUnited tonight.

“I admire the way they have kept thephilosophy of only Basque players playing for the club and yet they can still make a big impact in European football,” he says. “I think it’s great. It shows that it’s possible and that it’s not only about money.

“Can they finish the job tonight? Definitely. They’re playing at home, where they have been in top form – even against Madrid and Barcelona.

“And they lost their last game against Osasuna so the motivation is there prove themselves again in a big game. And I think they will.”