Just how important was that as a tournament for Irish football, for the Irish people? I mean, we're still talking about it to this day.

Absolutely.

And there's the answer, really, that we're still talking about to this day.

If you think of 80s Ireland, it was a pretty dismal place.

And there were lots of things that were in the process of getting a kick and being changed, but it hadn't actually happened.

And then the team went and qualified in a peculiarly Irish way for Euro 88.

They didn't kick a ball, but Scotland did.

But you were caught out by a train, is that correct, in Germany in 2006?

Is that something that you do a bit of prep work on or do you just let these things come to you when the game is happening?

You have to let the thing come to you when the game is happening.

There was an interesting feature in the Times newspaper, the London Times yesterday, centre page of the sports spread.

What's it like to commentate on the World Cup? And they talked to five, World Cup final, they talked to five different English commentators about what it's like.

And it was Martin Tyler who said, you know, there comes a point where you've got to leave the preparation behind and... just let your instincts take over.

You can't script what happens, like that clip that you've just played.

How long would it have taken me to work out the potential for Ireland to have the last penalty in the shootout? And then to think of the line.

What are your thoughts on VAR as a, as a addition to the game? Is it, are you pro VAR or anti VAR? Well,

Where do you fall on the debate of commentators giving their own opinions on things because we're actually having this debate in the office where like a lot of modern commentators it's almost like a podcast at times between himself and the co-commentator whereas if you listen back to some of the older style it's very much calling what you see on the pitch as opposed to what you think the player should be

doing on the pitch.

Well my view was always and would remain so that If I've got a former player beside me, there is no way I'm going to trump his knowledge of what is actually happening.

I may have an idea, but I always tried to couch what I would say in terms that would complement what the co-commentator might be about to say.

But I would never have gone down the line of telling Ray Houghton that that's what he should have done, to invite Ray to come back and say you're an idiot.

You know, because that's basically what it's about.

That's why you're there.

yeah um phenomenal stuff all right will we do the 90 98 final

It's almost like a podcast at times between himself and the co-commentator, whereas if you listen back to some of the older style, it's very much calling what you see on the pitch as opposed to what you think the

player should be doing on the pitch.

Well, my view was always and would remain so that...

If I've got a former player beside me, there is no way I'm going to trump his knowledge of what is actually happening.

I may have an idea, but I always tried to couch what I would say in terms that would complement what the co-commentator might be about to say.

But I would never have gone down the line of telling Ray Houghton that that's what he should have done, to invite Ray to come back and say, you're an idiot, you know, because that's basically what it's about.

That's why you're there.

Alright, will we do the 1998 World Cup Final?