Patrick "Pat" Anthony Jennings OBE (born 12 June 1945 in Newry, County Down) was a Northern Irish football player. Pat had an international career lasting over 22 years in which he earned 119 caps for Northern Ireland as a goalkeeper, a number which is still a Northern Ireland record. His club career produced over 1,000 games. After playing for Shamrock Rovers, Pat turned his attentions to Gaelic football until local side Newry Town came calling. Eventually Watford signed the gentle giant in May 1963. Pat did so well at Watford that at the end of the season he was signed by Tottenham Hotspur for ã27,000. Pat spent thirteen years at Spurs, where he played in 472 league games for Spurs. He picked up numerous honours at the Lane including the FA Cup in 1967, the League Cup in 1971 and 1973, and the UEFA Cup in 1972. He even managed a goal once when in in the 1967 Charity Shield, he kicked the ball from his hands and sent the ball bouncing over Manchester United goalkeeper Alex Stepney. Even the football journalists and his fellow professionals held him in esteem since in in 1973 the Football Writers' Association named him as its footballer of the year, and in 1976 he was the PFA's player of the year. Pat was the first goalkeeper to receive such a reward. In 1977, Pat moved to Arsenal and made 237 more league appearances in 8 years. He also appeared in three successive FA Cup finals, but only managed to help Arsenal win one of them. Pat did retire from first team football in 1985 but did go back to Spurs to play in their reserve team to help keep himself fit for playing for Northern Ireland. He first played for Northern Ireland as an eighteen year old on the 15th of April 1964, in a match against Wales, where Northern Ireland won 3-2; with a certain George Best also making his international debut. He started at 18 and ended his international career on his 41st birthday, making him at the time the World Cup's oldest ever participant. Only Roger Milla of Cameroon was older at 42 in 1994. In 2003 Pat was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in recognition of the skills he demonstrated in while playing for Watford, Spurs and the Arsenal. I give you Pat Jennings. An absolute legend. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9fp4aD3X-E
Always remember him acknowledging the Kop on International duty. Was always a privilege to watch the 'Big Man' in action. Those one-handed catches.......a LEGEND.
