Danny Higginbotham joined the Football Show on Off The Ball on Monday and declared much love for a Cork legend at Manchester United.
No, not him - the universally popular one. Denis Irwin is, according to Higginbotham; "the best left-back in my time at Manchester United in the generations gone past."
The Football Show 📺⚽️@MolloyJoe is joined by @Higginbotham05 now for this evening's Football Show ⬇️@paddypower https://t.co/8WR3MKuF2D
— Off The Ball (@offtheball) March 30, 2020
Irwin's talent was not lost on the former Manchester United apprentice, having observed Irwin up-close at training and from the stands at Old Trafford.
Unassuming hero
Despite the passing of time Higginbotham's admiration for Irwin is undiminished.
"I still say the best left-back in my time at Manchester United in the generations gone past,
"He was just so unassuming, but on the pitch, he was another genius. He is a genius among geniuses in that team.
"He was just effortless, he would come into training do his training then go home and he would come to games and he was just this unassuming individual."
To the young Higginbotham, Denis Irwin was an approachable hero:
"Such a lovely, lovely guy, always had time to talk to you as a young player and then as a full-back as well.
"Then he would go in the pitch and just have wingers in his pockets. You are just looking at him thinking ‘wow’. He is the best left-back that I ever saw at Manchester United."
Higginbotham concedes that Patrice Evra would come into the 'best-of' argument, but he had further praise for the Cork defender when considered on this list of all-time great Premier League full-backs.
"He would give Ashley Cole, who I think at one time was the best left-back in world football, he would give him a run for his money too."
In an ironic twist, Denis Irwin was cited as one of the reasons for Higginbotham leaving Manchester United and moving to Derby County.
When Sir Alex Ferguson called Higginbotham about Derby making an offer, Irwin and Mikel Silvestre were ahead of him in the full-back pecking order.
