WATCH: Paul McGrath’s scarcely believable Italia ’90 story sums up Jack Charlton’s Ireland perfectly

Paul McGrath is 57.

Let that sink in. He is a grandfather who has battled back from alcoholism and openly admits to the odd lapse, even now. Yet watching him on the Late Late Show on Friday night you could not help but marvel at how well he looks for a man nearing his seventh decade on this planet. Especially when he spent quite a lot of it abusing his body, physically (those knees) and chemically.   McGrath spoke to Ryan Tubridy at length about his dependency on alcohol, and how a recent (knee) injury set him back and forced him to re-evaluate his addiction issues. https://youtu.be/9UKPkPMsPSM However, before that, being Paul McGrath he shared a magnificent story from the eve of Ireland's World Cup quarter-final against hosts Italy in 1990. Anyone who has ever played a game of spoons will already know where this is heading, but this also involves the Italian police, Ronnie Whelan, large ladles, Ray Houghton, a sadistic John Aldridge, kegs of Guinness and Jack Charlton allowing the team to break the rules on the eve of a very important match. How else would you prepare for the biggest match of your life? https://youtu.be/SeztJpDMNRo All clips via The Late Late Show