Shay Given has recalled the anger in Paris on the 2009 night when Thierry Henry’s infamous handball helped rob Ireland of a place at the 2010 World Cup.
Ireland had trailed the first leg of a play-off to Nicolas Anelka’s goal at Croke Park, but Robbie Keane struck at the Stade de France.
Ireland’s 1-0 win meant that extra time was needed.
There, it happened, as Henry’s handball teed William Gallas up for the winner.
“I was so close to it that I could even see how the ball being touched by Henry had changed the spin and altered the pattern on the ball,” Given recalls in his new autobiography, Shay: Any Given Saturday.
“Then he tapped it again, ever so slightly, knocked it past me with his right leg and William Gallas poked it in.
“It all happened so fast but the moment Henry had done it, my first thought was, ‘Get the ball for a free-kick, let’s get up their end’ but as I looked up, Hansson was pointing to the centre-circle.
“You’re having a laugh here, surely? I just couldn’t believe it. He stopped the ball with his forearm from going out then pulled it back in with his hand! It was a double handball, how had the ref missed both? If you miss the first, you must see the second one?”
Given remembers how he was ‘like Usain Bolt’ chasing after the referee, Martin Hansson.
He writes: “It was the most blatant act of cheating I’d ever seen on a football field, it was simply unbelievable that the goal had stood.
“It was my worst nightmare coming true. I just wouldn’t and couldn’t let it lie and the rest of the lads were the same.”
At the time the thousands of Irish fans in the stadium were oblivious to what had happened at the far goal.
But when they got back to their bases, the reality hit home – they’d been cheated.
Given can still see the Irish dressing room that night.
He says: “Everywhere you looked there were lads swearing, throwing and kicking boots and bags out of the way. Shin pads were hurled and drinks lashed against walls.This night we had a real, genuine and justified anger at being totally stitched up.”
Shay: Any Given Saturday is published by Trinity Mirror Sport Media. It is on sale from this Thursday. Shay will be signing copies of the book in the Eason store in Letterkenny on Sunday at 1pm.
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