Cantwell wearing Number 9 before the match against Spain in 1965.
In November 1960, Manchester United - still recovering from the tragedy of Munich - signed Noel Cantwell. The fee was just under £30,000 which was a record at the time. Cantwell played in a varity of positions on the football field. He is most well-known to have played as a left full back. However, he could also play in a varity of other positions including centre-forward.
Noel Cantwell.
Cantwell was a player at Manchester United for seven seasons. During this time, he was made the captain and enjoyed the honour of leading the club to its first trophy since Munich - winning the F.A. Cup in 1963. At International level, Cantwell played on 36 occasions for the Republic of Ireland. Of these 36 games, 23 were as captain. He played at Cntre-forward for Ireland more frequently than he did for either West Ham or Manchester United. Consequently, he scored 14 goals at international level.
Noel Cantwell, wearing 3, watches as England score in 1957 at Wembley.
In October 1967, Cantwell became the manager of Coventry City. He managed the Sky Blues for several seasons but was eventually sacked in 1972. Cantwell left Europe to manage in North America before returning in 1986 to manage Peterborough United very briefly. He retired from football altogether in 1988. Noel Cantwell's natural sporting prowess (he represented Ireland playing Cricket as well as Football!) and his strong leadership skills added several new dimensions to both his clubs and to his country. It was fitting that his final international goal for Ireland was scored in the last minute of his last international game - a penalty against Turkey.
