Pat Jennings

Pat Jennings

Pat Jennings defending his goal against the Netherlands (1976)
Personal information
Full name	Patrick Anthony Jennings
Date of birth	(1945-06-12) 12 June 1945 (age 71)
Place of birth	Newry, Northern Ireland
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Playing position	Goalkeeper
Youth career
1960	Shamrock Rovers
1961–1963	Newry Town
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1963–1964	Watford	48	(0)
1964–1977	Tottenham Hotspur	472	(0)
1977–1985	Arsenal	237	(0)
1985–1986	Tottenham Hotspur	0	(0)
1986	Everton	0	(0)
Total		757	(0)
National team
1964–1986	Northern Ireland	119	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

Patrick Anthony "Pat" Jennings OBE (born 12 June 1945 in Newry, County Down) is a Northern Ireland former football player. He played 119 games for Northern Ireland as a goalkeeper, a figure which at the time was a world record and is still a Northern Ireland record, in an international career which lasted for over 22 years. During his career Jennings played for Newry Town, Watford, and in the top division with Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal, winning the FA Cup with both of the north London rivals. In total, Jennings made over 1,000 top level appearances, and despite being a goalkeeper he scored in the 1967 FA Charity Shield.

After playing for Shamrock Rovers' under-18 side at the age of 11, Jennings concentrated on Gaelic football until he was sixteen years old, when he made his soccer comeback with his hometown side Newry United and won an Irish junior cup moved to Newry Town. After impressing with the team he moved to English Third Division side Watford in May 1963. Jennings again impressed in his first season in England, playing every league game for his club, and making two international appearances that season. He was signed by Tottenham Hotspur for £27,000 in June 1964.

Jennings spent thirteen years at White Hart Lane, where he played in 472 league games for Spurs, and 591 in all competitions. He won the FA Cup in 1967, the League Cup in 1971 and 1973, and the UEFA Cup in 1972. He also scored once, in the 1967 Charity Shield, from his own area, kicking the ball from his hands and sending a large punt down the field that bounced over Manchester United goalkeeper Alex Stepney and into the net. In 1973 the Football Writers' Association named him as its footballer of the year. Three years later he won PFA's version of the award – he was the first goalkeeper to receive this accolade, and to this date remains only one of two, along with Peter Shilton.