John O'Neill

Who was John O'Neill?

John O'Neill was an Irish professional football player.

He was a defender who started his career with Drumcondra in his native city before moving to Preston North End in April 1958 along with team-mate Alan Kelly. He eventually went on to replace the legendary Joe Walton at left back and played for Preston 50 times. O'Neill won his only cap for the Republic of Ireland national football team on 28 September 1960 against Wales at Dalymount Park.

O'Neill moved to Barrow in July 1963 for a £1,500 fee. He played there for one season before returning to Drumcondra. He helped the club win the 1964-65 League of Ireland championship, and then emigrated to Melbourne Hakoah in Australia. In September 1965, O'Neill was back in Ireland, this time joining Waterford for a supremely successful spell. His first season with Waterford ended with a League Championship medal and over the next decade he added a further five League Championship medals to his collection. O'Neill also discovered his shooting boots at Waterford, scoring more than 60 times in League football, including 16 in 1968-69, which confirmed him as the Blues' leading marksman that season.