Liam Brady
Central Midfielder / Attacking Midfielder · Arsenal · Republic of Ireland
About Liam Brady
Liam Brady is the finest Irish footballer in history and one of the most naturally gifted left-footed players in the history of the game. He spent eight years at Arsenal as their creative heartbeat, then moved to Juventus in 1980 — winning two consecutive Serie A titles in Italy — before playing for Sampdoria, Inter, Ascoli, and West Ham. He made 72 international appearances for Ireland and is still considered the best player the nation has produced.
Liam Brady's story
The Left Foot
Brady's left foot is the most technically gifted by any Irish footballer — perhaps the most gifted by any British Isles footballer of the last 50 years. The way he controlled, dribbled, passed, and shot with his left foot was qualitatively different from other left-footed players of his era. At Arsenal, he was the creative force that made the team function — the number 10 before Arsenal played with one — and his departure for Juventus in 1980 left a gap the club spent years trying to fill.
The 1979 FA Cup Final
The 1979 FA Cup Final between Arsenal and Manchester United is "The Brady Final." Arsenal led 2-0 with five minutes remaining. United scored twice. 2-2. Then Brady played a pass from the edge of his own half to Graham Rix on the left. Rix crossed. Alan Sunderland (ENG) scored. 3-2. Arsenal had won in the most dramatic possible circumstances. Brady won the PFA and FWA Player of the Year awards that season.
Italy
Juventus paid £600,000 for Brady in 1980 — the first major British player to be signed by a leading Italian club. He won two consecutive Serie A titles, learning the technical intricacies of Italian football before moving to Sampdoria, then Inter. His three years at Juventus are considered the finest individual contribution by a British player to Italian football until the mid-1990s.
Did you know?
- 🦶 His left foot is considered by many analysts the most technically gifted of any player from the British Isles in the last 50 years — producing passing, dribbling, and shooting of qualitative superiority to what other left-footed players of his era could achieve.
- 🏆 He won the PFA Players' Player of the Year and FWA Footballer of the Year in 1979 — the double individual award — during the season Arsenal won the FA Cup in the most dramatic possible circumstances.
- 👨👩👧👦 Married Sarah; they have four children. He settled in Dublin and London, and became head of youth development at Arsenal.
- 🌟 Johan Cruyff said: "Liam Brady is the finest left-footed player I have seen from the British Isles. His technique is at a level comparable with the best in continental Europe — which is extremely unusual for an Irish or English player."
- 🇮🇪 He is the greatest Irish footballer in history — voted Republic of Ireland Player of the Century by national fans — in a country that has also produced Roy Keane, Johnny Giles, and Robbie Keane.
- ⚽ His contribution to Arsenal's 1979 FA Cup Final win — the pass to Graham Rix that led to the winning goal — is considered the decisive individual moment in the most dramatic FA Cup final of the modern era.
- 📊 He made 72 international appearances for Ireland between 1974 and 1990 — captaining the team across multiple managers and qualifying campaigns — despite Ireland never qualifying for a major tournament during his playing career.
- 🎓 After retiring, he became Arsenal's Head of Youth Development — nurturing a generation of academy players that included Cesc Fàbregas and Jack Wilshere — and is widely credited with transforming the club's youth infrastructure.
- 🏟️ His eight years at Arsenal (1973-1980) — from 17-year-old debutant to 24-year-old Juventus-bound star — represent the most dominant individual creative spell at the club between Charlie George's era and the Bergkamp-Henry years.
Honours
- Serie A x2: Juventus (1981, 1982) — consecutive Italian titles
- FA Cup: Arsenal (1979) — the "Brady Final"
- PFA Players' Player of the Year: 1979 — voted by fellow professionals
- FWA Footballer of the Year: 1979 — the double individual award
- Republic of Ireland Player of the Century: Voted by Irish fans as the greatest national player in history
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