Cillian Sheridan will be the only Irishman in the Champions League group stages this season after his APOEL Nicosia side trounced Danish outfit Aab 5-1 over two legs. Just look how happy he is about it.
My gravestone will read "The only Irish man left in the Champions League"
— Cillian Sheridan (@CillianSheridan) August 27, 2014
While the Cavan man was presumably speaking in jest, Opta have dug up a very interesting statistic which shows just how much of a rarity this is.
4 - If APOEL's Cillian Sheridan plays in the 14/15 CL proper, he'll be the 5th Irish player in CL with a non-UK team. Name the others. Quiz. — OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) August 27, 2014
4 - A .McGeady (Spartak), D. Connolly (Feyenoord) and P. Babb, A. Mahon (Sporting) are the 4 Irish players in CL with non-UK teams. Answer. — OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) August 27, 2014
Only four Irish players have togged out for a non-UK team since the inception of the UEFA Champions League in 1992.
Everton's Aidan McGeady did so with Russian side Spartak Moscow, while former Irish international striker David Connolly played in the tournament with Feyenoord of the Netherlands. Phil Babb and Alan Mahon joined Sporting Lisbon for free back in 2000 where they both made Champions League appearances. Mahon only played the first half in a 4-0 hammering at the hands of Real Madrid, but it still counts.
