Alan Kelly's remarkable rehabilitation in international football was rendered complete last night with his selection as Ireland's Player of the Year.
Kelly was a popular if narrow winner of the coveted award at the televised Opel/FAI banquet, attended by 750 guests at the Burlington Hotel. The awards ceremony was postponed from November because of problems occasioned by the Euro 2000 game in Turkey.
Robbie Keane and Mark Kinsella were the other candidates for the trophy. For Keane, however, there was a measure of consolation when he was named as the Young Player of the Year. He became the first player to take the award for a second consecutive occasion.
Kelly's selection is another huge accolade for one of the country's most illustrious football families. His father, Alan senior, once held the record for the number of Ireland appearances with 47 and his older brother, Gary, has been capped at every level except senior.
Out of favour for almost two years after losing his place through injury, the Blackburn player seized his chance with open arms when Shay Given's damaged knee allowed him back into the team against Macedonia last June. Later, he produced a sequence of outstanding performances in the final segment of the European qualifying programme.
Tranmere's Alan Mahon was the winner of the under-21 award while Jason Gavin of Middlesbrough was named as the outstanding under-18 player.
Although the second half of 1999 was something of a disaster for Paul Osam because of injuries, he won the National League award on the strength of some superb displays in St Patricks Athletic's successful defence of the Premier Division championship last season.
One of the highlights of the programme was the presentation of the Hall of Fame award to the survivors of the 1949 Republic of Ireland team which became the first foreign side to beat England 2-0 on home territory on a memorable afternoon at Goodison Park just over 50 years ago.
Following the death two months ago of Bud Aherne, there are now just four surviving members of that historic team. And one of them, Peter Corr, uncle of the celebrated Corrs singing group, was too ill to travel from his home in Preston.
But Con Martin and the two Walshs, Dave and Willie, were there to share memories of a victory which stunned the world of football.
Billy Young, a name centrally involved in the domestic game for more than 30 years, was presented with the Special Merit award while the former Scotland and Celtic defender, Billy McNeill, was honoured as the International Personality of the past.
