Following the confirmation of Liam Brady's retirement from RTE punditry duty, with tonight's Ireland game against Gibraltar being his last, the great man, who has been in the job 25 years, has explained his reasons for leaving.
Speaking on RTE Radio One today, Brady explained that his age and the changing football landscape were his main reasons for calling it a day.
Ah, I think things have changed with with football. I'm not in love with the game anymore.
I like watching it. I like watching the players and the best players, but all the things that surround it, it's not really for me.
And then, I suppose the arrival of social media in the last 10 years, I'm an old dog, and you can't teach me new tricks on Twitter and Facebook and things like that. They're all gobbledygook to me.
The outside of it. The business side of it, yes [is a part of football I have fallen out of love with]. You know it's huge. Now it's a multi billion pound business, isn't it?
The ownership of clubs in England , the arrival of these countries like Qatar, Saudi Arabia. I don't think it's been that good for the game, to be honest.
Liam Brady Retires From Football Punditry
22 May 2017; Former Sampdoria midfielder Liam Brady speaking at the announcement of the international club match at the Aviva Stadium on August 2nd between Manchester United and Sampdoria. Aviva Stadium, Dublin. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile
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Brady - who was one of the greatest ever to don the green jersey, while also having memorable careers at Arsenal, Juventus, and Sampdoria - was also asked about comments from Brady's old punditry partner, Eamonn Dunphy, and ex-RTE GAA pundit Joe Brolly, where they accused RTE of 'dulling down' their analysis.
Brady replied jokingly that the absence of those two figures would of course dull down the analysis on RTE, given the outspoken nature of the pair, but he was adamant that this was not a factor in him leaving.
"I'm leaving because I'm 67 years of age and I've done 25 years of it, and it's and it's a good number, and that's why I'm going.
"But, you know, I think the punditry that we used to have with, with Eamon and Johnny Giles and Bill, you probably just can't do that anymore."
Brady, Dunphy, Giles, and O'Herlihy
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In a statement issued through RTÉ, Brady said:
"In 1990 I retired as a player at the age of 34. In 2016 I retired from my position in the Arsenal Academy and now I’m announcing my retirement from tv punditry with RTÉ Sport.
"I have had the most amazing time working on RTE’s football coverage over the last 25 years and it is now fitting that I draw it to a close.
"There are many highlights, Zidane and France in 1998, Manchester United in 1999 and Liverpool’s miracle in 2005. At half-time my tip AC Milan looked comfortable but that is the beauty of sporting comebacks.
"I fondly remember the commentary box in Paris with George Hamilton when my beloved Arsenal were one-nil up against Barcelona. Henrik Larson came on and changed the game.
"I also remember fondly the emergence of a brilliant Barcelona led by this new coach Pep Guardiola with some young kids called Messi, Xavi and Iniesta.
"I’m going to miss the guys I played with and then worked with, Ronnie Whelan, Ray Houghton and Jim Beglin. Didi Hamann has become a great friend and the new guys Richard Sadlier, Kevin Doyle, Damien Duff and Shay Given.
"I will also miss all the presenters who asked the questions and the people behind the scenes.
"It was a pleasure to work with them and RTÉ."
SEE ALSO: Confirmed: Liam Brady To Retire From RTÉ Punditry Duty After 25 Years
