By Tony O'Donoghue, RTÉ Group Football Correspondent
Ray Houghton, the former Republic of Ireland international, has joined the search for a new Republic of Ireland manager.
Scottish-born Houghton, who won 73 caps, will team up with former Arsenal coach Don Howe, and current Republic of Ireland U-21 boss Don Givens, as they seek a replacement for Steve Staunton.
The three-man group has been set the task of identifying and interviewing prospective candidates for the Republic of Ireland job.
At the end of the process the group will recommend to the Football Association of Ireland the person to lead the team in qualifying for the World Cup in South Africa in 2010.
Important
Houghton will always be remembered as the scorer of two of the most important goals in Irish soccer history – the header against England at the European Championships in Germany in 1988, and a dipping strike against Italy at the Giants Stadium in New Jersey during the World Cup in the US in 1994.
The former Liverpool midfielder is a legendary figure among Republic of Ireland supporters and his addition to the recruitment process will be warmly welcomed by fans.
The 45-year-old, who also played with West Ham, Oxford, Aston Villa, Crystal Palace and Reading, joins Givens and Howe as they seek a successor to Staunton, who lost his job midway through a four-year contract.
Houghton was never short of the right stuff as a player, and his goals in Stuttgart and New York have ensured him legendary status among Irish soccer supporters.
Service
But as he takes the plunge and joins the hunt for a new Republic of Ireland manager, he may yet be doing his country its greatest service.
Houghton scored six goals in his international career, including one in his final appearance in the World Cup qualifying play-off against Belgium in 1997.
Houghton knows the value of timing and he joins a headhunting process just when it most needed a lift.
His name and credibility can now be added to that of Givens and Howe as the search for Staunton’s successor gathers pace.
A number of other former internationals have turned down the FAI’s advances as they try to use football industry expertise to get the next appointment right.
World Class
Houghton joins the search for a world-class manager having played under a few himself.
His debut for the Republic of Ireland came on the same day that Jack Charlton took charge for the very first time – against Wales on 26 March 1986.
Eleven years later Houghton was still doing his thing on the right side of the Irish midfield; in the meantime he had played, either for club or country, under Kenny Dalglish, Graeme Souness, Ron Atkinson and Mick McCarthy.
Houghton is highly regarded within the game, and his work for media outlets, including RTÉ Radio and Television, has kept him abreast of the modern game and well within the public eye.
Because of his role in the recruitment process he will absent himself from comment and analysis on Republic of Ireland internationals for the foreseeable future in order not to be compromised or, perhaps more importantly, not to be seen to be compromised.
Circus
The media circus that has grown up around the Republic of Ireland story is an important element of the saga itself.
Houghton himself believes that someone had to step up to the plate. He was fed up of people ducking what he believes is a responsibility to the game in this country, and it is not in his nature to be negative about the chances of landing a decent managerial candidate.
He will look for a candidate that would inspire him as a player and there is reason to believe that his fellow RTÉ panellists Liam Brady and Graeme Souness fit that particular bill.
'The Irish players, traditionally, are a spirited bunch and an open mind and proper motivation can work wonders,' says Houghton. 'We can’t afford not to speak to people in order to get the right man for the job.'
The timeframe, though, is important. Houghton believes he’ll be busy in the run-up to Christmas and the hope is that a new boss can be identified early in the New Year.
New Gaffer
The aim is to have a new gaffer in place by the time Brazil visit Croke Park on 6 February. Ideally, though, Ireland would have a new man at the helm in time for the World Cup fixtures meeting in Sofia on 16 January.
Houghton’s addition will be seen as something of a coup for FAI Chief Executive John Delaney. A legend like ‘Razor’ Houghton is like a rabbit out of the hat, summoning the spirit of the Charlton era and adding huge impetus to the recruitment process.
The real coup will be to find a world-class candidate, particularly in a crowded market place.
Terry Venables remains the favourite for the job but Houghton is a contemporary of a number of other leading contenders.
He played with David O’Leary and Liam Brady and was managed (and sold) by Souness at Liverpool.
The search for the most important job in Irish football just got more interesting.
