Nobody divides opinion in Irish football quite like Glenn Whelan.
The Dubliner has been a mainstay in the Republic Of Ireland soccer team since his debut in 2008, making 81 appearances for his country.
The 33-year-old is appreciated by his managers, such as Tony Pulis and the current Stoke manager Mark Hughes. He has made more than 25 appearances for Stoke in every single one of their Premier League seasons since their promotion in the 2008/2009 season.
Whelan isn’t as appreciated by certain football supporters though, that’s for sure.
He’s regularly criticised for his lack of command on the ball. His first touch leaves a lot to be desired as does his unambitious passing game. But managers, such as Martin O’Neill regularly reference his work-rate.
You could say that Whelan does his best work behind the scenes. Many critics argue that his work is so far behind the scenes, that it’s almost invisible.
Eamon Dunphy is another critic.
“Whelan’s presence is inexplicable really, when he went off in Vienna against the same opponents and David Meyler came on we improved enormously,” the RTÉ pundit said.
“Whelan does nothing, really. He effectively doesn’t do what Arter does which is be sharp in the tackle, he never really looks for the ball.”
Whelan, who was subject to a £500,000bid from Aston Villa recently, the same amount he cost the Potters in January 2008 received high praise from the Stoke City Chief Executive, Tony Scholes, who is keen to hold on to him, by the looks of things.
“He has been, and is, a magnificent servant of the club and everybody connected with the club thinks the world of Glenn and what he has done,” Scholes said.
“You just need to look at his record. His record over nine-and-a-half years at this club has just been incredible.
“You could almost argue that Glenn goes down pound-for-pound as one of our best-ever signings, given the appearances he’s made and every summer we bring players in and Glenn maintains his position.”
Is Glenn Whelan the most misunderstood player in Irish football? https://t.co/5b8VsSY6zB pic.twitter.com/7PF0JgNSDN
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) November 19, 2015
The media in Stoke have a very different attitude to Whelan than Eamon Dunphy for one.
“He would leave with the best wishes of every Stoke fan — even those under-rating his contribution down the years — because, along with Ryan Shawcross, he is the only survivor of the club’s pre-Premier League days,” said Stoke Sentinel reporter Martin Spinks
“Stoke are looking for at least £1m, not unreasonable in this day and age, and he could just be the kind of player and character to tip the balance for any club seeking a top-six finish (in the Championship).”
He’s a curate’s egg type of character. You either love him or you hate him.
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