Ronnie Whelan had an incredible career at Liverpool.
Arriving at Anfield as a 17-year old back in 1979, he would go on to spend almost his entire professional career with the club. He would win six League titles, three FA Cups, three League Cups, and a European Cup with the club, also captaining them for a number of years along the way.
However, he was soon reminded that there is little room for sentimentality in sport.
Ronnie Whelan recalls harsh Liverpool exit
Having been plagued by injuries during his final few seasons on Merseyside, Liverpool opted not to renew Ronnie Whelan's contract when it expired at the end of the 1993/94 season.
Still only 32-years old at the time, the former Ireland star still recalls being taken aback by the way the news was broken to him.
Speaking on an episode of Keys To My Life, which will air on RTÉ One at 8.30pm this evening, Whelan admitted that he struggled to contain his emotions when manager Roy Evans informed him of the decision to let him go.
It was 1994 and I had come to the end of my contract. It was the first two years of the Premiership, so my wages were half decent at the time. You were looking at £6,000 or £7,000 a week.
Roy Evans was the new manager then. He said 'the board have withdrawn your contract'. I was like 'what?'
It was like coming out of prison, you were free to go. I didn't hit me until I was driving home. I was back near Southport and I just thought 'what am I going to do, I've got three kids'. I'm not rich enough that I don't need to play, I need to do something.
Honestly, stupid things go through your mind like 'I haven't got a doctor anymore'.
I had a cry. I pulled over and wept on the side of the road, thinking 'it's all gone'.
Whelan would go on to play a couple of seasons at Southend, hanging up his boots in 1996 at the age of 34. He would play his last game for Ireland one year previous to that.
A few managerial stints would follow in Greece and Cyrpus, with the Dubliner since going to forge a very successful career in the media.
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