Liam Brady: 'If I had my time over, I wouldn't have put it like that'

The Ireland great wraps up a 35-year punditry career tonight. He wishes he had chosen his words more carefully on one of his final outings.

Bill O'Herlihy pictured with John Giles, Eamon Dunphy and Liam Brady ahead of the FIFA 2014 World Cup Final as Bill prepared for his final broadcast for RTE Television 

Liam Brady regrets that the words didn't quite come out right on one of his final outings after 35 years as a football pundit.

After the Republic of Ireland's defeat by Greece last Friday night, Brady, on RTÉ punditry duty, suggested that "this is the worst group of players that any manager has had in my lifetime". 

The line made headlines all weekend and was put to manager Stephen Kenny and James McClean during their media duties, something that made the former Ireland great uncomfortable.

"If I had my time over, I wouldn't have put it like that," Brady told the Irish Examiner. "I certainly didn't mean to be disrespectful to the players. I firmly believe every player who has gone out to represent Ireland always gives their best. I just meant that the talent doesn't appear to be there at the moment."

Various reports described Brady as 'slamming' or 'blasting' the players, which is far from what he intended. It is one of the frustrations he has noticed about punditry work in recent years, how thoughts expressed live on TV can take on a life of their own in the days after a game.   

"It does seem to happen more and more, that what you say gets interpreted differently. It's one of the drawbacks when you are out there as a pundit."

That's not why Brady has elected to wrap up a punditry career that extends back 25 years with RTÉ to the 1998 World Cup and 35 in all. 

"The time is right. I have really enjoyed it. But I knew when to retire as a player, I knew when it was time to leave my work at the Arsenal academy, which I loved too, and I know the time is right now.

"And it will be nice to bow out at the Aviva Stadium, at Lansdowne Road where I have had so many happy memories."

Brady began his punditry career with ITV for the 1988 European Championships which he missed out on playing in due to injury. He worked with BBC on the 1990 and 1994 World Cups and also for Channel 4 as a pundit on its Italian football coverage.

The former Arsenal star, who enjoyed seven seasons as a player in Italy, joined RTÉ’s punditry team ahead of the 1998 World Cup, striking up an instant onscreen rapport with established panelists John Giles and Eamon Dunphy, expertly marshalled by the late Bill O'Herlihy.

Giles left RTÉ in 2016, with Dunphy following in 2018. Now Brady’s exit ends the last link with what many regard to be the glory days of football punditry on the station.

RTÉ Head of Sport Declan McBennett paid tribute to that dynamic.  

“His later partnership with Eamon Dunphy and Johnny Giles guided so masterfully by Bill O’Herlihy helped define modern sporting punditry with his willingness to forthrightly address issues without fear or favour was indicative of Liam's personality as a whole."

Brady admits it's a very different sport to the game he encountered when he first left Dublin for trials with Arsenal aged 13.

"I wouldn't say I have fallen out of love with football. But I feel now like I'd just like to watch the matches without all the hullaballoo that goes on around it. It isn't the game I knew. The enormity of the football business now — I do think the game is on a dangerous path to elitism driven by wealth.

"But I will be forever grateful to RTÉ for the opportunity. I've had some fantastic times over 25 years - even though there was a sabbatical in there for a couple of years to work with Giovanni Trapattoni, which I loved too.

"I've had a great time with my great friends Eamon, John and Bill. We had great fun together in between the arguments. 

"I’m going to miss the guys I played with and then worked with, Ronnie Whelan, Ray Houghton and Jim Beglin. Didi Hamann has become a great friend and the new guys Richard Sadlier, Kevin Doyle, Damien Duff and Shay Given. I will also miss all the presenters who asked the questions and the people behind the scenes. It was a pleasure to work with them and RTÉ."

Brady hopes he isn't finished with football entirely. He is working on an autobiography detailing his career which will be released in October and would still love to give something back to the game that has treated him so well. 

"I'll still be watching games and going to games. I am grateful for everything football has given me. And I'd be very happy to help out the FAI in any way if they ever needed it."