Ex-Swindon star dies at 54

FORMER Swindon Town and Republic of Ireland midfielder Alan McLoughlin has died at the age of 54.

Manchester-born McLoughlin, whose other clubs included Southampton and Portsmouth, had revealed that he had cancer.

McLoughlin made his Republic debut in 1990 and won 42 caps. He is best remembered for his equalising goal against Northern Ireland which earned his country’s qualification for the 1994 World Cup finals in the United States.

And it was his deflected shot that saw Swindon beat Sunderland in the old Division Two play-off final at Wembley in 1990, although the Black Cats eventually went up instead after the Robins were found to have made irregular payments to certain players.

McLoughlin was diagnosed with a kidney tumour in 2012 and had a successful operation, but he said in March that he had cancer and it spread to his kidney, chest wall and lung.

The FAI paid has paid tribute to McLoughlin, who scored two goals in a nine-year international career and was in the Republic squad for both the 1990 and 1994 World Cup finals.

FAI president Gerry McAnaney said: “Alan McLoughlin will always be remembered for that goal in Belfas, a goal that brought the entire country to its feet. He was a great player for Ireland.”