Club Career
A promising footballer, he left Dublin while still a teenager to join Manchester United as an apprentice. Dunphy did not break into the first team at United and subsequently left to play for York City, Millwall, Charlton Athletic and Reading. It was at Millwall that Dunphy made the most impact; he was considered an intelligent and skillful player in Millwall's midfield.
Dunphy was a member of "The Class of '71", the Millwall side that lost out on promotion to the old Division One by one point.
On his return to Ireland, Dunphy took up a coaching position with St. Benildus College. In 1977, he accompanied John Giles back to Ireland to join Shamrock Rovers F.C. Giles wanted to make the club Ireland's first full-time professional club and hoped to make Rovers into a force in European football by developing talented young players, who would otherwise go to England, at home. Dunphy was originally intended to be in charge of youth development. However, despite an FAI Cup winners medal in 1978 (his only medal in senior football) and 2 appearances in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, Dunphy became disillusioned with the Irish game and dropped out of football altogether to concentrate on a career in journalism.
Read more about this topic: Eamon Dunphy
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