The first time I met Jack he called me a headless chicken, then he got me to understand my position ...I owe my career to him FAI deputy chief says Charlton’s genius made him top player

singing for Jack to stop and get us a drink. This is grown men, international football stars, singing and waving their hands and we got to this small pub on the canal, it’s closed now, and Jack stopped the driver.

“The whole bus cheered and we piled into the tiny bar in the dark of night.

“We only had a couple of pints, nothing stupid, and everyone had to tell their best joke and it was a magic bit of management.

“Everyone was buzzing and in top form and suddenly we were on a plane, playing England and making history. But that night made us as a group and he understood the needs of the team.”

That level of understanding would become concrete for the Irish squad during camp as they watched Glenn Hoddle admonish Paul Gascoigne and Teddy Sheringham on TV ahead of their France 98 qualifying campaign.

The duo were forced to apologise by their manager for their drunken antics on a dentist chair in Hong Kong days before Euro 96, a move which enraged Big Jack.

Quinn said: “We were up in Carrickmacross, up to the Nuremore Hotel in camp ahead of an international match.

“We were watching the TV at dinner and the England players had got into trouble drinking on a training camp.

“It was Gazza and Teddy Sheringham and the dentist’s chair.

“We were sitting watching the TV the night before our game and Glenn Hoddle came on the box and made Gazza and Teddy Sheringham apologise to the waiting media. Jack had retired a couple of years ago and was a guest of Mick’s [Mccarthy] and suddenly he got visibly upset.

“He was dismayed a manager had done this and that he hadn’t supported his players. He was very animated and shouting at the TV and calling Glen Hoddle stupid and was just visibly upset.

“We all looked at each other and realised how lucky we were to have him because of what he would do for us in the same situation.

“It’s not a well told story or a fun story but it shows you the faith and belief we had in Jack and that anything he told us didn’t seem impossible.

“We trusted if we did it his way, we could do anything because he saw what Glenn was doing as a public betrayal.

“And I know of players whom Jack

Playing for Ireland and City