According to both the Evening Mail and the Express and Star, Walsall have today signed the former Ireland International full back/centre back/ midfielder Steve Staunton as player/coach on a match by match basis. The club itself has said nothing yet, although ClubCall is carrying the story. The strange thing is, he ought to be straight into the team for the Rotherham game in place of the suspended Westwood, but he’s suspended himself for the first two games! Curiouser and curiouser.

Staunton is a well known name amongst Midlands football fans from his spells at Villa and, latterly, Coventry, but here’s a quick refresher of his career so far.

Steve Staunton was born on the 19th January, 1969 in Drogheda, Republic of Ireland. He has enjoyed a distinguished career with Liverpool and Aston Villa and eventually became the Republic of Ireland’s most capped player.

Staunton was spotted by Liverpool playing in Ireland for Dundalk FC and was signed as a 17 year old by manager Kenny Dalglish. He made his debut in September 1988 and was so impressive that he stayed in the side for the rest of the season, despite his inexperience compared to the players around him, who had won the League title the year before.

He put in an outstanding performance when the FA Cup semifinal was rescheduled that year, following Hillsborough, with Liverpool beating Forest 3-1. He also won the first of his many caps for the Republic of Ireland.

Staunton got an FA Cup winners medal Wembley, as Liverpool defeated Merseyside rivals Everton. However, the season ended in huge disappointment when Liverpool lost the League title in a decider against Arsenal.

The following year, Staunton was a regular as Liverpool won the League title and went to Italy with Jack Charlton’s squad as Eire competed in their first ever World Cup finals. He was the youngest member of the squad, yet played in every match at left back, as Ireland progressed to the quarter finals, when they were beaten by the host nation.

He played one more season with Liverpool before being surprisingly sold to Aston Villa. New manager Graeme Souness was accused of misjudging the player’s abilities, though the ruling for European ties possibly had a bearing, with Staunton being classed as a foreigner, of which (at that time) no team was allowed to field more than four.

Staunton settled into life at Villa Park and won the League Cup in 1994, completing the domestic medal set. That summer he headed off with Ireland to World Cup USA. Again he played in each game as Ireland succumbed in the second round to the Netherlands.

His club career remained eventful with Villa for the next four years, but he won no further honours and Ireland failed to qualify for both Euro 96 and the 1998 World Cup, though Staunton was still a regular. Then, with his contract set to expire at Villa, he moved back to Liverpool in 1998.
His second spell at Anfield lasted two years before he was told he could leave on a free transfer and, after a brief loan spell at Crystal Palace, he did another about-turn and went back to Aston Villa.

Ireland qualified for the 2002 World Cup, by which time Staunton was captain of his country. Mick McCarthy selected him for the squad along with Niall Quinn - the only other veteran of Ireland’s two previous World Cup campaigns.

Again, Staunton played in every game of the tournament, with the group match against Germany being his 100th cap. Ireland’s went out again in the second round when they lost to Spain in a penalty shoot-out after the game had finished 1-1. Staunton announced his retirement from international football immediately afterwards after a national record of 102 appearances.

Never a prolific goalscorer from either defence or midfield, Staunton nevertheless had a penchant for scoring spectacular long-range goals with his much-feared left foot, including from set pieces.

Staunton continued to play club football, moving to Coventry City (in preference to the Saddlers), until this Summer, when he turned down the offer of another 12 month contract with them.