Mick Kearns
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Michael Kearns | ||
| Date of birth | 26 November 1950 | ||
| Place of birth | Banbury, Oxfordshire, England | ||
| Playing position | Goalkeeper | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1969–1972 | Oxford United | 67 | (0) |
| 1973–1979 | Walsall | 249 | (0) |
| 1979–1981 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 9 | (0) |
| 1982–1985 | Walsall | 26 | (0) |
| National team | |||
| 1970–1979 | Republic of Ireland | 19 | (0) |
|
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. | |||
Michael "Mick" Kearns (born 26 November 1950) is a former professional footballer and Republic of Ireland international goalkeeper, who was the Community Director at Walsall Football Club until his retirement in 2014.[1]
Born in Banbury, Oxfordshire, he qualified to play for the Republic of Ireland through his Irish ancestry and went on to represent his country 19 times. A goalkeeper, his international debut at the age of 19 was on 6 May 1970 as a substitute in a 2–1 defeat against Poland. He made his 19th and final international appearance on 21 November 1979 in a 1–0 defeat against Northern Ireland.
During his club career Mick played for Oxford United from 1969 to 1972 before joining Walsall where he made 249 appearances from 1973 to 1979. After a spell with Wolverhampton Wanderers, Mick returned to Walsall to close out his career, making a further 26 appearances between 1982 and 1985.
Mick's younger brother Ollie Kearns was also a successful professional footballer, but as a goal scorer not keeper. He enjoyed a high-scoring League career throughout the 70s and 80s with Reading, Walsall, Hereford and Wrexham; then scored the newly founded Rushden & Diamonds first-ever goal.
As of 2015, Kearns still lives local to his home town of Banbury.
References
- ↑ "Walsall F C Community Programme - Mick Kearns". Walsall F.C. official website. Retrieved 22 April 2011.