Dave Langan

Who is Dave Langan?

David Francis "Dave" Langan is an Irish former professional footballer who played as a right-back for the Republic of Ireland, for whom he won 26 caps. Langan won his first cap against Turkey in April 1978 and was a regular in the squad until he sustained a knee injury in a 3–2 victory over France.

For four years he was in the international wilderness until his move to Oxford regenerated the form that earned him his first caps. He remained an ever present throughout the course of the qualifying campaign for UEFA Euro 1988 in which he played four games.

Unfortunately, despite the rather somewhat public outcry, Langan was dropped for the adventure in the summer of '88 in Germany and there ended his international career.

Langan played youth football with the Cherry Orchard club and was a youth international before going to England to join Derby County, for whom he made his debut in 1977 as a 19-year-old and went on to make over 150 senior appearances. Jim Smith then paid a club record £350,000 to take him to Birmingham City, for whom he played over 100 games, but when his career was disrupted by injury such that he missed a full 18 months, he was released by manager Ron Saunders.