Football
Croke Park Calling: Man Utd vs Leeds United
A sold-out Croke Park awaits as Manchester United and Leeds United go head-to-head on Wednesday, August 12th, in what promises to be an exciting night of football in Dublin.
A decades-long rivalry will renew itself again this Wednesday in Ireland’s biggest arena, as Premier League giants Manchester United and Leeds United lock horns once again.
Both sides are coming to the end of their pre-season preparations as the opening of the Premier League campaign fast approaches for them on 22 August. Manchester United will travel to Hull City while Leeds visit Nottingham Forest.
First, they’ll take to the grass in front of roughly 80,000 people at Croke Park in a long-anticipated encounter, which will be the first senior men’s football fixture at the historic venue since Ireland lost 1-0 to France there in November 2009, almost 17 years ago.
THE IRISH CONNECTION
Two of the biggest supported clubs on the island, this game will have a lot of meaning to so many people despite it being tagged as a “friendly”.
Leeds’ love affair with the Emerald Isle goes back all the way back to the 1960s when Dublin’s Johnny Giles first pulled on the white jersey. He actually spent seven years at Old Trafford before he became the beacon of Leeds’ golden era in the heart of the midfield, in a team that won two First Division titles, the League Cup and the FA Cup. For Irish at home, who were just beginning to receive English television coverage, it was proof that an Irishman could control the fast-paced, high-tempo of the best team in Britain.
The late Jack Charlton’s legendary reign as manager of the Boys In Green treated the Irish public to two World Cups and a European Championship between 1988 and 1994. A one-club hero at Leeds United, “Big Jack” lined out almost 800 times for the Whites during his playing days and his status in both Leeds and Ireland fused an already existing link between the fanbases.
Roll forward the years and you’ll continue to see an Irish trend. John Sheridan became a cult hero in midfield during Leeds’ revitalisation in the Second Division during the 80s, and Drogheda’s Gary Kelly came through the academy and played at Elland Road his entire career, captaining the side for much of his 531 appearances at right-back. Ian Harte became a deadly free-kick specialist in the club’s famous run to the Champions League semi-finals in 2001, a team that included Ireland’s all-time top goalscorer Robbie Keane.
Newton Heath LYR was founded by Manchester railway workers all the way back in 1878. A vast contingent of these workers were themselves Irish immigrants earning a living in the rail yards. From humble beginnings, it would later become Manchester United Football Club, and so began a generations-long link between Ireland and the Red Devils.
In a city built largely by the Irish, it’s fitting that Ireland has produced some of United’s greatest ever players. Dublin’s Liam Whelan was one of the first to capture people’s imaginations as part of the Busby Babes before the tragic Munich air disaster. His funeral drew huge crowds back home and solidified an emotional tie between the two cities.
Of course, Belfast’s George Best followed, becoming a global phenomenon in the 60s and 70s, and the first and only recipient of the Ballon D’Or to come from the island of Ireland. Two league titles and the 1968 European Cup ensured the mercurial winger’s legacy at Old Trafford is everlasting, and his name is still chanted there to this day.
Fast forward 20 years or so and a baby-faced Roy Keane signed from Nottingham Forest, a crucial piece of Alex Ferguson’s magic puzzle as he became one of the most influential captains of the Premier League era. He led United to 17 trophies, 15 of those playing alongside fellow Corkman Denis Irwin and three with John O’Shea, and represented Ireland in the 1994 World Cup in the meantime.
Today, there’s a very exciting Irish youth contingent emerging at the Red Devils. Ireland U21 midfielder Jacob Devaney scored his first goal in senior football against SK Brann in Norway several weeks ago, and Shea Lacey has already featured competitively for the Red Devils. Neither of them made the travelling squad this week, but 15-year-old JJ Gabriel has. The midfielder, who this month became the youngest player to ever feature for the club, holds family ties to the Emerald Isle, which could yet see him line out for the Boys In Green.
Every week the gates of Dublin Airport are flocked with supporters of both clubs making the pilgrimage to their chosen side of the Pennines to keep going a tradition that has been deep-rooted in Irish society for over a century now.
SEASON PREVIEW
Manchester United have looked revitalised under Michael Carrick and are gearing up for a massive season in a Premier League that could well open up following the exits of two title-winning managers in Pep Guardiola and Arne Slot, as well as a return to the Champions League stage.
The midfield has been the main area of improvement in the transfer window. The loss of Casemiro left a gap, but that looks to have been filled by the signings of Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos. Tielemans will be well known to football followers for his successful spell at Leicester City and more recently Aston Villa, where the 29-year-old won the Europa League under Unai Emery, scoring in the final. The Belgian actually captained Anderlecht against United in 2017, at the age of just 19 when he played against his current manager in the middle of the park.
Santos will be lesser known. The Brazilian is still just 22 but has spent the last two seasons at Chelsea having joined from sister club Strasbourg. Reduced to more of a bit-part role having faced competition from Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez in his position, he still managed an impressive 91% passing accuracy across his 27 appearances.
Leeds finally completed the long-awaited signing of goalkeeper James Trafford from Manchester City last week for a club record fee. The saga had been going on for some time, but the 23-year-old is a massive addition who will fill the gap between the sticks left by Islan Meslier following his move to Arsenal, and Karl Darlow who made the straight switch across the Pennines to Manchester and might be involved against his former club at Croke Park.
Harry Wilson’s arrival from Fulham on a free transfer has been another coup for Daniel Farke’s side who have shown real ambition in the transfer window. The Welsh midfielder recorded 10 goals and 7 assists last year and should complement the high-scoring Dominic Calvert-Lewin nicely throughout the season should the pair stay fit.
Tarek Muharemovic has come in at centre back from Sassuolo to replace Pascal Struijk who has signed for Brighton. The 23-year-old has played 17 times for the Bosnian national team and spent four years at Juventus despite not breaking into the first team.
TEAM NEWS
Michael Carrick will be without Lisandro Martinez, Manuel Ugarte and Benjamin Sesko who are all sidelined through injury, but are continuing rehabilitation to make themselves fit for United’s league opener at Hull City in a few weeks. Matthijs De Ligt has travelled with the squad for the first time since last November but won’t feature as he hasn’t yet fully recovered from a persistent back injury. Matheus Cunha and Senne Lammens have joined up with the group after respective illnesses, and Mason Mount is doubtful after receiving a knock which forced him off last time out.
Kobbie Mainoo and Marcus Rashford have joined the camp after their mandatory World Cup rest period, and it could be the first time Rashford wears a United shirt since December 2024.
The big news is that Tielemans has officially linked up with the squad, and made an impressive cameo against Paris Saint-Germain last week which will put him in contention. He completed 100% of his passes, all of which were forward, and Wednesday will be one of the first chances for United fans to catch a glimpse of their new signing in the flesh.
Daniel Farke’s side will probably not include Gabriel Gudmondsson who came off against Liverpool with a hamstring injury, and Ilia Gruev is still recovering with a knee problem. Jaka Bijol, Lucas Perri and Noah Okafor are all doubtful.
Brendan Aaronson’s return from injury at Soldier Field is a big boost for the West Yorkshire side and he should play a part against United. It’s also possible that Daniel James could make an appearance against the club he made 74 appearances for between 2019 and 2021.
HOW TO GET THERE
Croke Park is approximately a 25-minute walk away from Dublin City centre. Alternatively, buses 4, 9, 11, 13, 16, 40 and 122 can take you from O’Connell Street to Drumcondra Station, which is a five-minute walk away. Be mindful of heavy traffic as kickoff approaches.
Northbound commuter trains will also take you to Drumcondra Station and can be boarded from either Connolly Station or Tara Street Station.