My Newcastle United – Why I loved Liam O’Brien | OneFootball

Here at The Mag we have introduced a new feature, asking a number of our regular / irregular contributors to write about a past Newcastle United player that they liked / loved for whatever reason(s), not necessarily the best player they have ever seen.

More the fact that, this player became a big favourite of theirs, no matter what level of ability they had.

This time it is – My Newcastle United – Why I loved Liam O’Brien.

Our thanks to Bazoox for providing this overview:

Three words you could use to describe this player?

Languid, Lovable, Spectacular.

Can you pinpoint what was the exact moment when this player first felt a bit special for you?

I was offshore in the autumn / early winter of 1988, when I was informed that Newcastle United were signing Liam Brady. Bloody hell I thought, Brady was about 40 and the Toon were bottom of the First Division.

It was Brady’s fellow countryman and Eire international Liam O’Brien who was actually joining us from Manchester United!

It was admirable that he agreed to join the club when Colin Suggett and Mick Martin were holding the fort as we searched for a new manager to replace Willie McFaul.

The Bald Eagle soon landed and I quickly realised that Liam O’Brien was a versatile and ‘up for it’ sort of bloke. In his first year at Newcastle he even filled in at right-back in a Tyne/Tees derby.

What were this player’s strengths when at Newcastle United?

Liam’s strengths were that he was a midfield lynchpin that would always try to dictate possession.

He was so comfortable on the ball that sometimes he would make Perry Como look like a nervous wreck but he could also get stuck in when necessary.

His penchant for spectacular goals was his undoubted speciality.

Any weaknesses?

The only obvious ‘weakness’ Liam O’Brien had was a lack of pace.

The fact that he could read the game like a book and get himself into great positions more than made up for it.

Your favourite memories of this player?

I have three favourite memories of Liam.

The first one is from a cold night at Ayresome Park in 1992. First Division Newcastle had drawn with Premiership Middlesbrough at St James’ Park in the first leg of a League Cup tie.

We headed to Teeside for the second leg and played Boro off the park. Liam O’Brien was magnificent and continually drove the team forward.

It was only appropriate that he scored the second ‘killer’ goal with a sublime strike into the bottom corner from 22 yards out.

Four days later and Liam O’Brien would cement his place in Geordie folklore against Sunderland at Roker Park.

With the clock running down and with Newcastle United trying desperately to preserve their impressive opening winning streak, we got a free-kick 25 yards out.

As the Toon fans in the Roker End all held their breath, Liam casually chatted to a couple of his teammates after lining the ball up.

He took only a few steps before gliding the free-kick over the Sunderland wall, whilst also totally bamboozling and wrong-footing Tim Carter in the mackem goal.

The ball duly nestled in Carter’s net as Liam O’Brien wheeled away, pursued by his ecstatic and exultant team-mates.

We would see Liam’s gap-toothed ‘Terry Thomas’ smile next to the First Division Championship after the 7-1 hammering of Leicester City in May 1993.

I was so proud of him and all the lads.

Mission had been accomplished in spectacular style.

Hand on heart and I have to admit that Liam would not get into the Newcastle United team in the forthcoming 2023/24 season.

He had bags of natural ability but the high-intensity gameplan and the miles that Eddie Howe’s players cover over 90 minutes, would have left my favourite ever player Liam blowing out of his jacksy.

My line-up would be;

Nick Pope

Kieran TrippierFabian ScharSven BotmanDan Burn

Sandro TonaliBruno GuimaraesJoe Willock

Miguel AlmironAlexander IsakJoelinton

Including your choice of much loved player of the past, please give us a whole team of your much loved Newcastle United players of the past, once again, they don’t have to be the eleven best NUFC players you have ever seen play, just 11 who you really liked down the years (you can include current Newcastle players in this much loved all-time eleven).

Pavel Srnicek

David CraigJeff ClarkeDarren PeacockJohn Beresford

Cheick TioteLiam O’ BrienNobby SolanoTerry Hibbitt

Paul GoddardMicky Quinn