The boys in green to hit Euro highs

Pub quiz time: What European country has produced most European Cup-winning players without a domestic club lifting the prize?

Ireland. 11 Irish players have featured in a European Cup/Champions League final and nine have ended the game as winners.

Next question — name them?

Manchester United’s Shay Brennan and Tony Dunne won the first medals when the club beat Benfica 4-1 at Wembley in 1968.

Steve Heighway was next as Liverpool beat Borussia Monchengladbach 3-1 in 1978.

The high point was 1984 when Liverpool beat Roma with three Irish players, Mark Lawrenson, Ronnie Whelan and Michael Robinson, on the pitch.

Cork’s Denis Irwin helped Manchester United complete the treble in their 2-1 win over Bayern Munich in 1999 while Roy Keane missed out through suspension.

Six years later Steve Finnan played the first half of Liverpool’s dramatic penalties win in Istanbul while John O’Shea was on the bench as United beat Chelsea on penalties in 2008. The only two Irishmen on the losing side were Liverpool’s Jim Beglin (beaten by Juventus, 1985), and Leeds’ John Giles (beaten by Bayern, 1975).