Richie Foran: Poacher-cum-Gamekeeper | OneFootball

Former manager Dermot Keely signed Richie Foran for Shelbourne in 1999 and loaned him out to Home Farm for a season. He made his Reds league debut in the 2000–2001 season, scoring 11 goals in 28 appearances. During his debut season, he also made six European appearances, scoring in both the home and away legs against Rosenborg in the second qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League. He won the Young Player of the Year award at the end of the season. That same season, he made his debut for the Republic of Ireland under-21 international team in Cyprus.

In 2001, Foran was expelled from the Irish U-21 squad after breaking a curfew set by the team’s manager at the time. An irate Don Givens stated that he would never select the Shelbourne striker for international duty again as long as he was manager. Givens went on to say, “Richie has a lot of talent, but the baggage that comes with him is hard to take.” Foran later attributed his absence to “woman trouble.” Regardless of the reason, his indiscretion could have prematurely ended the career of one of Irish soccer’s brightest stars. He apologised as he tried to come to terms with his actions.

Foran also played for his local GAA club without permission from his employer or manager. The incident only came to light after reports surfaced that he had played, been sent off, and blamed “woman trouble” once again.

Richie was a strong, physical, and aggressive centre-forward who constantly played on the edge, frustrating defenders. His ill-discipline was evident—he was red-carded five times in his first full season, leading to a six-match ban. Upon returning from suspension at the start of the following season, he was sent off again in a match against Dundalk at Oriel Park. He had given Shelbourne the lead in the 16th minute but was dismissed just eight minutes into the second half for a high challenge on a Dundalk defender.

Days later, manager Roddy Collins made an offer for Foran to join Carlisle United (playing in the lowest tier of the English Football League). Given his disciplinary issues, Shelbourne were eager to accept the deal. In his first season with the Cumbrians (2001–2002), he scored 16 goals, but over the next two seasons, he found it much more difficult to score. During his time at Carlisle, he was involved in two highly publicised fights at Lincoln City and Huddersfield Town, received 31 yellow cards, and was sent off three times. He did, however, help Carlisle reach the 2003 LDV Vans Trophy Final, which was played at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff before a crowd of almost 51,000. Bristol City won the match 2-0.

After a brief four-match loan spell at Oxford United, and with things going pear-shaped at Carlisle both on and off the pitch, he moved on a free transfer to Motherwell in the Scottish Premier League (SPL) in 2004. He scored 23 goals in 90 appearances for the club.

During his time at Motherwell—where he was very happy and played what he described as his best football—he helped the club reach the 2005 Scottish League Cup Final, only to suffer a crushing 5-1 defeat to Rangers. On the final day of the 2004–2005 SPL campaign, he was part of the Motherwell team that defeated Celtic (managed by Martin O’Neill) 2-1. Celtic had taken the lead on 29 minutes, but two late goals from Motherwell’s Australian striker Scott McDonald shattered Celtic’s title hopes and handed the championship to Rangers.

Despite three runner-up finishes in cup finals during his time in England and Scotland, Foran was about to experience an unexpected triumph. He returned home to Dublin to play in a junior championship final for his local GAA club, St. Joseph’s O’Connell Boys, against St. Vincent’s. His side won the final—but he had played without informing his employer, Motherwell, much to the annoyance of his manager, Terry Butcher. Richie firmly believed that “forgiveness was easier sought than permission”—a mindset he had already tested during his time at Shelbourne.

In a later interview with a Scottish newspaper, he admitted that Gaelic football was his first love. “It’s in my blood, but it’s not a professional sport. The big hits and the rough-and-tumble of the game had a particular appeal to me.” He was known for his toughness, saying: “You hit me hard, I’ll hit you harder.” He would have loved the chance to wear the blue jersey of Dublin. “Gaelic football shaped me and made me rock hard,” Foran said.

After an unhappy two-year spell at Southend United (where he was sent off once), he returned to Scotland to play for Inverness Caledonian Thistle (ICT).

Terry Butcher, his former manager at Motherwell, made Foran his first signing at ICT and soon after appointed him club captain. He was reunited with a manager who trusted him, and in the Highlands, he became a popular figure both on and off the pitch.

Butcher left ICT in November 2013 to take charge of Hibernian, replacing former Shelbourne boss Pat Fenlon. John Hughes was appointed as Butcher’s successor and, in March 2014, led Inverness to the League Cup Final, where they lost on penalties to Aberdeen. In May 2016, Hughes left the club following a dispute with the board over budget restrictions. Given Hughes’ success at the club, he was always going to be a tough act to follow.

Within a week of Hughes’ departure, and to the complete surprise of the football world, Richie Foran was appointed manager of Inverness Caledonian Thistle on a four-year contract. As a player, he had made 209 appearances for the club between 2009 and 2016, scoring 45 goals, and had captained the team since 2010. However, appointing a player with no managerial experience and a history of ill-discipline was a huge gamble. Few could have imagined that the boy from East Wall would be managing in the same league as Celtic and Rangers. His former Shelbourne manager, Dermot Keely, remarked in a newspaper: “Now, I can be a bit mad, but Richie was off the scales. He really was unmanageable.”

In May 2017, the rookie manager paid the price for Inverness’s relegation when the board relieved him of his duties. His one season in charge turned into a nightmare, as the club managed just seven victories and lost their top-flight status.

Fortunately, after a turbulent and colourful career in football, Richie and his family now enjoy the peace and serenity of life in the Scottish Highlands.