Last night, a documentary called "Codebreaker" aired on RTE One. The program focused on the career of Ireland and Manchester United legend Kevin Moran, and it's fair to say that it didn't disappoint fans who tuned in to watch it.
Moran achieved remarkable success in two distinct sports: Gaelic football and English football (soccer). He secured All-Ireland wins for Dublin against Kerry and Armagh in 1976 and 1977, along with four Leinster Championships. Moran also had a youth football career with Pegasus.
Soon after, Manchester United, one of the biggest clubs in the world, came knocking for the Dubliner's talents, and the rest is history. Moran would go on to win two FA Cup medals with United, in addition to representing Jack Charlton’s Ireland at two major tournaments—Euro '88 and Italia '90.
Moran made 231 appearances for United before departing in 1988. He then went on to play for Sporting Gijon in Spain and Blackburn Rovers in England.
A number of former players who played in the same era as Moran were also part of the documentary. These included former teammates Bryan Robson, Norman Whiteside, Liverpool's Ian Rush, and Everton's Peter Reid.
Arguably the most extraordinary story in Irish sport.
Kevin Moran: Codebreaker, Monday 9.35pm | @RTEPlayer | #KevinMoran pic.twitter.com/mwoZRvaEoL— RTÉ One (@RTEOne) May 25, 2023
The three-part documentary received huge praise from fans watching at home and abroad. One viewer said, "Absolutely loved watching this documentary! The goosebumps and nostalgia watching the Italia 90 footage took me right back to the excitement of it all as a kid. Kevin Moran - What an amazing sportsman, teammate, and all-round nice fella! Great watch! #codebreaker."
Another viewer commented, "Just finished watching the Kevin Moran documentary on RTE Player. Give it a watch, loved commentary inputs from Bryan Robson, Paul McGrath, and Norman Whiteside. Kevin, you are a warrior."
Another Twitter user expressed, "Will never forget seeing Kevin Moran playing Gaelic football for Dublin for the first time, and then hearing he had signed for Manchester United, and watching him play for Ireland. The man was a god to me, and still is."
One of the most interesting aspects of the documentary was Moran's disappointment with not winning a league title with United, despite coming so close. Moran stated, "If anything about my career with United, yes I had two FA Cup winners medals, but it was not winning the league. We were close on a number of occasions, but not getting over the final hurdle was always my major disappointment."
You can rewatch the documentary here on the RTE Player.
