'The best moment I've ever had in the game' - Kelleher still savouring Budapest glory

The Brentford keeper revealed that he had originally been due to return to London immediately after the Hungary clash but made a rapid change of plans after Troy Parrott's seismic winner

Thu, 04 Dec, 2025 - 18:21

James Whelan

Two and a half weeks after Ireland's unforgettable moment in Budapest, planet football is rapidly moving on. The World Cup which Troy Parrott helped to keep alive as a dream and live possibility with his injury-time winner will have many blanks filled in on Friday when the tournament draw takes place in Washington D.C.

For those in the heart of the drama in the Hungarian capital, there is still time to reflect and digest. Ireland goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher has had a couple of weeks to come to terms with his part in the piece of history and considers it "the best moment I've ever had in the game".

“When we scored that goal [against Hungary] – it might only be to get into a play-off – but it’s like it’s lifted the whole country," Kelleher told former goalkeeper Ben Foster on his popular Fozcast podcast this week.

“It was a special moment – we’ll never forget that. In 20 years’ time it’ll probably still get played on TV, and it’ll be one of those special Irish moments. It was incredible."

Kelleher was among a group of Heimir Hallgrímsson's squad due to fly directly back to England from Hungary afterwards. But in the wake of Parrott's hat-trick heroics, which helped book a spot in March's playoff pathway, there was a hasty change of plan as a celebration in Malahide was arranged.

“I was booked to go back to London that night. A few of the other players were also due to go back," Kelleher added. "And then, obviously after the final whistle, I thought, ‘I’m not going back to London’. We got into the dressing room, and Nathan [Collins] – the captain – asked, ‘Who wants to go back to Dublin?’ Most of us put our hands up. And they were like, ‘Right, they can change it now so we can all get back on the team flight.’ “We landed in Dublin, straight on the bus, straight to a pub they had set up just for us – players and staff. It was nice, to be fair. They had a little live singer.

“He [Keith Andrews] is good with days off after internationals, because obviously the lads who don’t go on internationals get like five days off or something. So, he’s good with us – after the games. We were playing on Sunday and he said, ‘Come back in Thursday’, which was cool.

“As far as football goes, [that was the best week of my life]. It’s the best moment I’ve ever had in the game – when we scored. Just the emotion of it – I was even emotional after. Everyone was emotional. I very seldom cry. I wouldn’t at all, but something just overcame us.”

Kelleher, of course, played a crucial part in the winner in Budapest. With the score poised at 2-2 and Ireland seconds away from another qualification campaign ending in pain, it was his last-ditch floated punt into the box which Liam Scales nodded on to the relentless Parrott to brush it home to round off a rollercoaster finale. The former Ringmahon Rangers starlet insisted Ireland never lost hope.

“We were still quite positive in the dressing room [despite going 2-1 down] because it was like, ‘If we score one goal, the pressure is on them.’ It’s not easy when you’re playing for a draw, if a draw is good enough. You’d rather play for a win. They haven’t qualified for a World Cup since ’86 – so obviously massive expectation," Kelleher added during a wide-ranging chat with Foster during which he discussed his decision to leave Liverpool and the impact Keith Andrews has already had on his game.

“Troy scored – we’re in the 80th minute – and I was thinking, ‘Okay, come on. We’ve got a chance here’. I was feeling the buzz...and you can feel the Hungary lads getting a bit nervous.

“And then we got a chance. Johnny Kenny had a chance on about the 89th minute...struck it nicely on the volley, and the keeper’s come out, spread himself, made a massive save. And you’re like, ‘That’s probably the chance’.

“And then it got to 90+5, we had a few long throws. Nothing coming from them. Everyone else has pushed up, so I pushed up to the halfway line. And I’m almost trying to come up for a throw-in or a corner because it’s the last kick. So, I was quite high, and then he just cleared it straight to me.

“Scales obviously flicked it on, and then Troy flicked it in. That’s the first time I’ve ever felt like I didn’t know what to do. It was a weird feeling. Normally I’ll celebrate a goal, but I’m not going crazy. But honestly, emotion just took over. I would never sprint like that. I sprinted, and then I just dropped to my knees. I’m not an emotional person like that at all. It’s probably my highest speed of the season!

“I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t believe it. I still can’t believe it. To be fair, the ref played on after that. You’re full of emotion and you’re thinking, ‘If they shoot here – please don’t’. They crossed it in and got a flick-on. The guy volleyed, it got blocked. Then it came out to Dominik Szoboszlai. Ge touched it perfectly and I’m like, ‘Oh, here we go’. And then he chips it and it comes right into my hands.”

The full Fozcast episode can be watched here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yK_IA9nNssA