Packie Bonner

Early career

He began his soccer career in the late 1970s with his local youth side, Keadue Rovers. When he was 16 he had several trials with Leicester City and kept goal for them in the FA Youth Cup. In August 1977, Bonner had agreed a deal to sign for League of Ireland side Finn Harps on a 6-month contract after impressing in a guest appearance in a friendly against English team Stoke City F.C. An agreement was put in place, with then Harps manager, Eunan "Busty" Blake, that if a bigger club came in, Bonner would be allowed to leave and Blake himself would personally tear up his contract. He was subsequently spotted by Sean Fallon, who was scouting in Ireland for Celtic, and invited to Glasgow for a trial. True to his word, Blake tore up Bonner's Finn Harps contract, without him ever making a competitive appearance for the club, and Bonner signed for Celtic on 14 May 1978.

Celtic

Bonner made 483 league appearances with Celtic, and is the goalkeeper with the most appearances in the club's history, with 646 overall. With Celtic he won four League Championships, three Scottish Cups and a League Cup. He was released by manager Lou Macari in 1994, but was re-signed by Tommy Burns after Macari was sacked. His last appearance for Celtic was winning the 1995 Scottish Cup final under Burns. After the Scottish Cup victory over Airdrie, Bonner took on the role of player-coach and finally left the club in 1998 to work as a coach alongside his former teammate Burns.

Bonner made his international debut for the Republic of Ireland on his 21st birthday in a friendly against Poland on 24 May 1981. For the remainder of the Eoin Hand managerial era, Bolton Wanderers' Jim McDonagh remained Ireland's first choice goalkeeper. By the time of the appointment of Jack Charlton in March 1986, Bonner was already claiming the number one position. Bonner claimed his 75th international cap on his 34th birthday in a 1–0 win over Bolivia at Lansdowne Road which at the time equalled the Republic of Ireland record held by Liam Brady.

Euro 1988

Bonner played in seven of Ireland's eight games in the qualifying round of UEFA Euro 1988. Despite some good results, including a 1–0 win away to Scotland, a 2–0 win at home to Bulgaria and a 2–2 draw away to World Cup bronze medalists Belgium, Ireland looked to be losing out on goal difference to Bulgaria. Bulgaria needed only a draw against Scotland in their last match to progress. However, a last-minute winning goal for Scotland gave Ireland, and Bonner, a first appearance at the UEFA European Championship. Bonner played in all of Ireland's games at Euro 88, including the 1–0 victory over England in Stuttgart. Ireland scored early and dominated in the first half, missing several chances to put the game beyond England. However, in the second half, Bonner produced a number of outstanding saves to keep Ireland in the lead, most notably from Gary Lineker, and was named Man of the Match. It was Bonner's eighth…

International

Bonner is married to Ann and has two children. His son Andrew was also a footballer who played as a striker for the Republic of Ireland youth teams and in the Scottish Junior leagues at club level, and was later an amateur distance runner. His twin brother Denis played football in Ireland for Galway United and Finn Harps. He also has five sisters.