by Snowball »
16 Nov 2010 19:29
Stand up Ian Harte Ian Patrick Harte (born August 31, 1977 in Drogheda) is an international footballer for the Republic of Ireland national football team who currently plays for Sunderland. Club career
Harte joined Leeds United from Irish club Home Farm in 1995. , the Drogheda lad who, this season, has emerged as a clinical weapon for both Leeds United and Ireland.
And the new rival to David Beckham Editing of this page by unregistered or newly registered users is currently disabled due to vandalism. in one of the glamour departments of English football: Scoring spectacular goals. For much of his career, Harte has been overshadowed by his team-mate and uncle, Gary Kelly. Now, all of a sudden, he is being hailed as one of the Premiership's marquee names.
A stunning 90 minutes against Deportivo La Coruna La Co·ru·ña - the team who beat Real Madrid and Barcelona to the Spanish title - did as much for Harte's profile as Hull Crown Court has for three team-mates.
A quite sensational free-kick and two silver-salver assists were beamed to tens of millions of homes around Europe. The next morning his manic celebrations decorated half the continent's back pages.
Harte's profile could hardly have shot up any quicker if he had gone from fast-food waiter to Big Brother contestant.
When an opponents gets to Fergie - a scarlet-faced Red Devils supremo accused Harte of being a "diver" after he won Leeds a penalty at Old Trafford - he must be doing something right.
Blinded by celebrity, some English commentators have ridiculously elevated Beckham to God-like status. The nuttier camp have made a case for him being the best player in the world (that guy Rivaldo is hardly in the same league is he?!!) when the truth is he is not even among the best three at United. Beckham can't tackle, is only slightly faster than rush hour traffic, doesn't go by players and heads a ball like somebody who is determined not to mess up his million pound deal with Brylcream.
Comparing him to Roy Keane is like making a parallel between a glass of home-brew and a pint of Arthur's finest. One is occasionaly tasty, but not to be trusted. The other is undeviating in its excellence.
However, what Beckham can do - and very often does - is hit a free-kick as powerfully and accurately as a laser-guided missile. Adidas have built an entire advertising campaign around the apparent ease with which the Londoner defies gravity and geometry. Goal of the Month competitions are illuminated by those swerving specials that leave 'keepers diving, like demented bungee-jumpers, into thin air.
Up until last month, just about any educated football follower - Manchester United fan or not - asked to nominate one player to take a free-kick to save his life, would opt for Mister Posh.
Beckham and Harte were in Champions League action.
And while the Manchester man had a zero for three return from free-kicks against Bayern Munich, Harte almost ripped the net of the Elland Road stanchion housing with a thunderbolt Timed at almost 70 miles per hour, the Irishman's effort exploded from his left-foot with a thrilling burst of acceleration that was worthy of a jet hitting the after-burners. Half the population of Coruna could have been guarding the net and the ball would have still whizzed past them.
Harte has fired Leeds towards a Champions League semi-final and bundles of bonus loot. United and Beckham face the exit door and a stock market crash. It was the latest proof, that, four months shy of his 24th birthday, Harte's skills have been refined to a level where he is dangerous from 25 yards as Tiger Woods is from ten feet. For further proof, examine the strike-rates of the 74 Irish players on the first team books in England's two top divisions. You would probably hazard a fairly confident guess and nominate Robbie Keane or Niall Quinn as the leading scorer among that bunch. Or maybe as an outside bet, an attack-minded winger such as Damien Duff, or a box-to-box midfield player in the Matt Holland mode. In all four cases, you'd be wrong. Because it is Harte - and not his 12M Elland Road team-mate - who leads all Irish scorers. With eight goals for his club and two for his country, he is the only Irishman in England's top two divisions to have reached double figures this season.
It is also true that, in his primary defensive duties, he is less compelling. Though strong in the air and an excellent long range passer, he remains vulnerable to pace and lapses of concentration.
But while Beckham's form slumps towards recession - anonymous against Munich, his only contribution was to pick up a yellow card that rules him out of the return - Harte enjoys a boom period.
DAVID BECKHAM FACTfile
AGE: 25
POSITION: Midfielder
CAPS: 40
GOALS: 2
CLUB APPS 2000/01: 27
CLUB GOALS 2000/01: 8
Famed for his whipped-in crosses and ability to strike a dead ball with unerring accuracy. Unfortunately his wide role sometimes limits his contribution to open play, but his peerless capacity to produce chances from the flanks justifies Ferguson's selection policy. Whether deployment in a more central berth would be worth the risk given Beckham's tendency to lash out to strike out wildly or furiously; also used figuratively.
IAN HARTE FACTfile
AGE: 23 POSITION: Left-back
CAPS: 28
GOALS: 5
CLUB APPS 2000/01: 39
CLUB GOALS 2000/01: 8
This versatile defender is the nephew of Leeds right-back Gary Kelly. Despite his tender age, he is almost a veteran in O'Leary's young side having already become a regular fixture in the Republic of Ireland national side. A powerful left boot makes him extremely dangerous in dead ball situations. He is also potent in the air in the opposition's penalty box and regularly gets on the score sheet. Was outstanding as Leeds beat Deportivo 3-0 at Elland Road in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals last Wednesday.
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