Joseph Denis Irwin (born 31 October 1965) is an Irish former professional footballer and sports television presenter. Irwin is the joint most successful Irish footballer in history, a record he shares with fellow Manchester United stalwart Roy Keane, having won 19 trophies in his career.^[5]

As a player, he played as a full back from 1983 to 2004. Irwin is best known for his long and successful stint at Manchester United, where he established himself as one of the most important players in a team that won a host of domestic and European trophies including seven Premier League titles and the UEFA Champions League from 1990 to 2002. He has been regarded by Alex Ferguson as, pound for pound, his greatest ever signing.^[6] Earlier in his career he played for Leeds United and then Oldham Athletic, and finished his career with a two-year spell at Wolverhampton Wanderers, the club he supported as a child.^[7]

Irwin was capped by the Republic of Ireland national side 56 times, scoring four goals and featuring in the side that reached the second round (last 16) at the 1994 FIFA World Cup.

Irwin was born and raised in Cork, County Cork and was educated at Togher Boys' National School and Coláiste Chríost Rí.^[8] As a schoolboy, he excelled at both Gaelic football and hurling, and played at Croke Park more than once, on one occasion marking future teammate, Niall Quinn.^[9]

Irwin played for the Republic of Ireland national under-19 team that qualified for the 1983 UEFA European Under-18 Championship and the 1984 UEFA European Under-18 Championship. He was capped 56 times for the Republic of Ireland between 1990 and 1999, and scored four goals. His first appearance came on 12 September 1990 (just after his move to Manchester United), when he helped them beat Morocco 1–0 in a friendly at Dalymount Park. He made his competitive international debut on 17 October 1990, when the national side began their UEFA Euro 1992 qualifying campaign with a 5–0 win over Turkey at Lansdowne Road. He scored his first international goal on 29 April 1992 in a friendly against the United States at Lansdowne Road. His final international appearance came on 17 November 1999, at the age of 34, when Ireland lost to Turkey in the UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying play-off second leg in Bursa.^[19]

Irwin made his only international tournament appearance for Ireland at the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the United States. He started at right back in the team's first two group matches; a 1–0 defeat of Italy and a 2–1 loss to Mexico. He was then suspended for Ireland's final group game (0–0 draw vs. Norway) and was an unused substitute in the 2–0 loss to the Netherlands in the Round of 16.^[20]

Since 2004, Irwin has worked as a presenter on MUTV.^[21] Irwin has been involved in coverage of several football tournaments on RTÉ. He is also a columnist with Ireland's Sunday World newspaper. He contributed to RTÉ Sport's coverage of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.^[22][23]

Oldham Athletic

• Football League Cup runner-up: 1989–90^[31]

Manchester United

• Premier League: 1992–93, 1993–94, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01^[32]
• FA Cup: 1993–94,^[33] 1995–96;^[34] runner-up: 1994–95^[35]
• Football League Cup: 1991–92;^[36] runner-up: 1990–91,^[37] 1993–94^[38]
• FA Charity Shield: 1990 (shared),^[39] 1993,^[40] 1996,^[41] 1997^[42]
• UEFA Champions League: 1998–99^[43]
• European Cup Winners' Cup: 1990–91^[44]
• European Super Cup: 1991^[45]
• Intercontinental Cup: 1999^[46]

Wolverhampton Wanderers

• Football League First Division play-offs: 2003^[47]

Individual

• PFA Team of the Year: 1989–90 Second Division,^[48] 1993–94 Premier League,^[49] 1998–99 Premier League,^[50] 2002–03 First Division^[51]
• PFA Team of the Century (1997–2007): 2007^[52]
• English Football Hall of Fame: 2016^[53]