Beglin: James Martin (Jim)

1989-1990 (Player Details)

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Born: Dublin: 29-07-1963

Debut v Newcastle United (a): 19-08-1989

5’11” 11st (1989)

He began his career with Shamrock Rovers, scoring once in ninety-three appearances. He was destined for Arsenal when the deal mysteriously fell through, but only a few days later he joined Liverpool on a month's loan. Just ten days into his stay he became Bob Paisley's last ever signing. He signed with Liverpool in May 1983 for £20,000. Joe Fagan, opted to blood the young full-back in the first team gradually. In November 1984 he was called up for his First Division debut, playing in left midfield in a 1-1 draw against Southampton at Anfield. He broke into the Liverpool team eighteen months later and went on to win fifteen caps for Ireland. Beglin was unafraid of the challenges ahead and even managed to find the time to score on his European debut in April 1985 with a bullet header in the semi-finals of the European Cup against Panathinaikos. He played in the ill-fated Final in Brussels against Juventus, at the Heysel Stadium in 1985. It proved to be one of the blackest days in the club's history, when a retaining wall collapsed during a riot at the Liverpool end, killing thirty-nine Juventus supporters, in what came to be known as the Heysel Stadium Disaster. He scored his first League goal in a 3-0 win at Upton Park over West Ham United in May 1985. Beglin started in fourteen other games that season and finally Alan Kennedy made way for the young Irishman in the left-back position in the 1985-86 season. Beglin's contribution proved crucial in the final league game of the double season when he played a major part in Kenny Dalglish's winning goal against Chelsea that sealed the title. Beglin's Liverpool career came to an abrupt end when he suffered an horrific leg break in the Merseyside Derby against Everton on the 21st January 1987. He never really recovered after that leg break and did not play for over two years. Beglin's Liverpool teammate Alan Hansen described the offending tackle from Everton's Gary Stevens as 'a mile high and an hour late'. His time at Anfield came to a close soon after he sustained a knee cartilage injury during a Reserve match in October 1988. He scored twice in sixty-four League games, ten times in the F.A. Cup, thirteen times in the League Cup, scored once in three games in Europe and made eight other appearances for a total of three goals in ninety-eight games while at Anfield. Howard Wilkinson resurrected his career when he took him on a free in July 1989. Further injuries at Leeds disrupted his progress and he was loaned to Plymouth Argyle in November 1989, which helped him back to fitness, as he made five appearances for them. At the end of the 1989-90 promotion season he had regained his first team spot and was pushing for selection for Ireland in the World Cup, and he was selected for the Republic of Ireland "B" team against England in Cork in a 1-4 defeat on 27th March 1990. He was loaned to Blackburn Rovers in October 1990, where he made six League appearances, again to regain fitness. He played his last game for Leeds in the ZDS win over Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux on 19th December 1990, before his troublesome knee injury finally ended his professional career in 1991 at the age of twenty-seven. He became a Radio and TV pundit with ITV and made the voice-overs for Liverpool FC. Jim Beglin made his debut for Ireland on 3rd June 1984 in a 1-0 win against China in Sapparo, Japan. It was a mini tournament and Eoin Hand was the Republic of Ireland manager at the time. Because of his broken leg, Beglin only managed fifteen appearances for his country. His first competitive match for Ireland was a 1986 World Cup qualifier against Denmark in November 1984. The Irish were thrashed 3-0. The Irish team was going through a poor patch and in he was on the winning side just twice out of the fifteen appearances. Beglin never managed to score for his country. His last match for Ireland was on 12th November 1986 against Poland in the Legia Stadium.