Keane, Brady, McGrath top Irish trio, says Giles

RTÉ pundit John Giles, pictured, will be signing copies of his compelling new book The Great & The Good at Eason’s, Patrick’s Street in Cork city today.

In the book, the former Ireland and Leeds legend looks back on over 50 years of football and Giles nominates Roy Keane, fellow RTÉ pundit Liam Brady and Paul McGrath as the top three Irish players he has seen.

Keane, Giles argues, was “the opposite of a sunshine boy. If I was in a battle to win a match, to save my life, and I had to choose one player to be by my side, I think I would want to have Roy Keane there”.

Assessing the Premier League era, Giles isn’t afraid to be controversial.

He speaks glowingly of Paul Scholes, John Terry and Tony Adams but goes against conventional wisdom in saying Ryan Giggs, Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Eric Cantona fall below the level of the true greats.

Giles argues Giggs lacks concentration at vital moments, Henry failed to fulfil his true potential, Bergkamp couldn’t be relied upon when the going got tough and Cantona never delivered for Man United in Europe.