Legendary defender Paul McGrath is widely regarded as one of the greatest players ever to come out of the Republic of Ireland. An Irish journalist one remarked that "McGrath played football as though he was wearing a silk smoking jacket with a crystal glass in his hand", which tells you all you need to know. Eighty-three caps and eight goals for his country tell but a portion of his story, as Aston Villa fans will surely attest. He was, after all, the PFA Players' Player of the Year in 1993. Known for making stout defensive work look like an elegant balletic performance, McGrath is fondly remembered to this day as a true icon of Irish football.
