Ireland looked like a real buzz so we found a Mcateer ‘relative’ in Co Down
WORLD CUP LEGEND ON HIS HUNT FOR IRISH ANCESTRY
JASON chose Ireland over England – despite not knowing whether he was even eligible to represent the
Boys in Green.
The popular Scouser ended up playing in two World Cups and winning 52 caps, and it was his unforgettable goal against the Netherlands in 2001 that earned Ireland a spot in the 2002 finals.
But in an interview with the Under The Cosh podcast, Mcateer appeared to cast doubt as to whether he was eligible to pull on the green jersey.
He claims that a name was picked from three Mcateers that the FAI found from County Down, and put down as his grandad on his passport application form.
Mcateer was desperate to play for Ireland, having watched Jack Charlton’s side reach the quarterfinals of Italia ‘90 while working as a barman in his native Liverpool.
He was at Bolton when Charlton asked him to come over for a friendly against Russia in March 1994, three months before the World Cup in the USA.
Recalling the events that led to his call-up, Mcateer said: “So I get called into the [Bolton] gaffer’s office one morning and Jimmy Armfield’s in there. He was scouting for England.
“So he’s in there and I’m thinking, what’s going on here? The gaffer, Bruce Rioch, says to me, Jimmy Armfield wants you to play for England.
“When I was in the pub working in 1990, the Italia World Cup finals
were on. So, big Liverpool fan, you had Ronnie Whelan, Ray Houghton, Steve Staunton and John Aldridge playing for Ireland.
“I’m working in the pub watching all these games, and of course Liverpool’s got a big Irish connection, so when the Ireland games were on the games were massive and the pub was full.
“I was thinking, this team is brilliant. So I’d become a big Ireland fan, wasn’t interested in England. I was never really patriotic, being from the north of England.
“The next thing they’re visiting the Pope, all that kind of stuff. I was thinking, how good would it be to play for them?”
Asked about his heritage, Mcateer admitted: “I didn’t really get it. So Rioch then said to me, is there anyone in your family who’s Irish. I said, I’ll have to go home and ask my mum and dad.
“I asked my dad if we had any Irish in the family. His granddad, apparently, was born in County Down. No one really knew. They moved to England, the story goes.
“So I went back to Bruce and said, I think my great grandfather is Irish. So he’s like, OK, I’ll tell the FAI.
“We’ve got Everton in the FA Cup, I play okay, I got into the players’ lounge and Jack Charlton is there with his son John.
“Next thing, he comes over and says, I don’t know if you know but we are playing Russia next week at Lansdowne Road, do you want to come and play for Ireland?
“I’m like, yeah, I do. That was it. I go over, play for the Republic of Ireland against Russia and next thing I’m in.”