Dick Redmond has seen it all over the past two decades. Kit man for the Republic of Ireland for the last 21 years, he has been there for all the success, heartbreak, joy, and despair the team has experienced.
Now, he has stepped aside. He took to Twitter today to reveal he would no longer be part of the Irish setup and to wish Stephen Kenny and his team all the best going forward.
After 21 years of being a very proud Kitman for the Republic of Ireland my time has come to step aside I would like to wish Stephen Kenny and his team the very best of luck for the future and remember we all win in their success. I have made so many friends God bless n stay safe.
— Dick Redmond (@kitmandick) April 17, 2020
Classy as always.
Dick has developed a big reputation over the past 21 years. He is beloved by managers and players alike and there is no shortage of brilliant stories with him at the centre.
One of the recent ones came just after Mick McCarthy returned for his second stint as Ireland boss.
Southampton winger Nathan Redmond had long been linked with a switch to Ireland having qualified through the granny rule. However, those hopes were ended when he was called up to the England squad in May of last year.
Mick McCarthy was contacted by Robbie Keane to let him know and this was his response:
Well actually I got a text from Robbie, I was playing golf. He said that Redmond is gone.
I sent a message back, 'Dick?' knowing full well who he meant of course.
He said, 'no, Nathan. he was picked for England.' I said, 'well thank fuck it's not Dick!'
You'd imagine Dick would have been more vital to the team than his namesake in any case.
A quick look through the Sportsfile archives will give you an indication of what type of a character he is.
He even managed to get Roy Keane to crack a smile!
That Superman suit is without doubt his most iconic moment. After Ireland secured a place at Euro 2016 with a win over Bosnia & Herzegovina in Dublin, he burst into the dressing room sporting the outfit, shouting "I'm 60 and I'm going to France!"
Brilliant.
We have no doubt that he will a loss to the Irish setup. He will certainly be missed by all the players.
