Source: Northern_Echo
Strong CV proves so vital for Staunton
WHEN Steve Staunton arrived for his interview with Darlington chairman Raj Singh, he did so with a desperation to get the job while clutching a mightily impressive curriculum vitae.
As Singh ran a finger down the 40-year-old’s CV, under ‘Honours’ he will have found some eye-catching achievements, the sort that would make any football follower nod in approval.
Who knows, but they may have even played a role in convincing a rookie chairman, making his first managerial appointment, that sitting in front of him was the man for the job.
Staunton’s medals are testament to his success in winning the First Division championship, the FA Cup, the League Cup (twice) plus the Charity Shield (twice).
As League Two managers go, there are not many who could rival his medal count.
Paul Ince, appointed boss at Macclesfield three years ago, is one of few with a more impressive trophy collection.
But it is not entirely unknown for Darlington to appoint a manager who can boast of previously lifting trophies.
Dave Penney had won the League Two title while at Doncaster Rovers and even Billy McEwan had won the Division Four title with Rotherham United.
However, the crucial difference is clear.
Staunton’s medals were all won during a glittering player career that spanned two spells each with Liverpool and Aston Villa.
As a manager, however, he still has it all to do.
Not only does the Irishman become Darlington boss having never managed at club level before, he drops into the fourth tier for the first time in his career.
Until yesterday, when Singh chose him, the closest he had come was a short spell in Walsall’s defence in League One during 2005-06.
Seven games for the relegation-threatened Saddlers was hardly a fitting way to end a 20-year playing career than had seen him earn a reputation as one of most consistent left-sided defenders in the game.
His playing days began with Dundalk before Kenny Dalglish took him to Anfield as a raw 17-year-old the summer after Liverpool had won the league and cup double in 1986. Within four years Staunton was to win both honours himself.
He can count himself among the last batch of Liverpool players to win the league as they have still to reclaim the crown since Staunton featured in a team, including the likes of Barnes, Beardsley and Rush, that claimed the 1989-90 title.
Staunton was surprisingly sold a year later as new manager Graeme Souness tore apart a squad inherited from Dalglish. However, he was too enjoy seven fruitful seasons with Aston Villa.
He completed his domestic medal set with two League Cup wins, one coming during the stewardship of ex- Darlington manager Brian Little, while he came close to another league title during 1992- 93 but Villa were beaten to the top prize by Manchester United.
In 1998 Roy Evans took him back to Liverpool, but 18 months later Staunton was making the return journey to Aston Villa and it was in the Midlands where his career was to fizzle out.
No trophies followed during three more years at Villa before he rounded off his playing days with two seasons in the Championship at Coventry City and then those seven games for Walsall.
But throughout a lengthy career he never dropped into the basement division; experienced at this level he is not, though Staunton claims knowledge of League Two due to his recent employment as a scout for Wolves’ boss Mick McCarthy.
McCarthy and Staunton, of course, go way back. They played together in the same Irish defence at the World Cup in 1990 before McCarthy became Staunton’s international manager and selected him for the 2002 finals in Japan and South Korea.
It was on the eve of these finals that Roy Keane had his well-publicised bust-up with McCarthy, telling him to ‘stick the World Cup up his arse’ before walking out on the squad and leaving Irish preparations in turmoil.
In the aftermath, Staunton was among several senior players, including now Sunderland chairman Niall Quinn, who stood by McCarthy and the Droghedaborn defender was handed the captaincy.
That meant he was able to lead the side out for his record-breaking 100th international, a draw with Germany thanks to a late Robbie Keane goal, and he was to win a further two caps before retiring.
That makes him the mostcapped Irish international, though Shay Given and Kevin Kilbane are expected to overtake him shortly, but despite achieving longevity as a well-liked player he did not last long as manager.
Less than two years into a four-year contract and Staunton was out the door following a tenure notable for the Irish press giving the former national hero a torrid time.
He had been appointed, with Sir Bobby Robson as his assistant in the title of “international consultant”
in January 2006 after a failure to qualify for that summer’s World Cup, replacing Brian Kerr.
But after 21 miserable months Staunton was gone following a reign that included a 5-2 hammering in Cyprus and a narrow win over San Marino thanks to an injury time goal.
But it was Ireland’s inability to qualify for the Euro 2008 that Staunton left his post in October 2007, by “mutual consent”, and by the end of the season he had been appointed assistant manager at Leeds.
However, he departed following Gary McAllister’s sacking in December last year before McCarthy gave him a job at Wolves.
His desperation to begin club management has remained clear as he applied for roles at Motherwell, Rotherham, Lincoln and Port Vale, he is finally back in football with Darlington.
Having endured an almost journeyman-like status since hanging up his boots, it is hoped Staunton’s reign at Darlington is going to reflect his lengthy and successful playing career and not his time in charge of Ireland.
Because should Staunton fail again then Darlington will be in the Blue Square Premier next season.
