Born in Ormond Square in a working-class area of inner-city Dublin, John Giles was passionate about football from a very young age. It was his father Christy that encouraged him to play the game, who himself was a player for Irish club Bohemians in the 1920's. Moreover, he had also managed Irish side Drumcondra during the 1940s.
Giles began playing for Irish club Stella Maris, where he spent 2 years. This was followed by a move to Manchester United, as the Irishman joined Matt Busby's team for a £10 signing-on fee in 1956. After 3 years, the midfielder was given his early first-team debut in 1959 after eight of the teammates unfortunately died in the 1958 Munich air disaster.
The Irish lad became a regular first team player for United over the next four years, playing alongside legends Bobby Charlton and Denis Law. His finest contribution for United came in the 1963 FA Cup final, as it was Giles' magnificent pass which started the move towards a winning goal by David Herd. Manchester United ended up winning the game 3-1 against Leicester to clinch the title.
Despite these glorious moments, he soon became out of favour at United. Thus, he asked for a transfer and joined Leeds United for a £33,000 transfer fee. "I am going to haunt him", is what Giles said of Busby, to his wife Anne, after the Scotsman had forced his departure by freezing him out of the starting team.
A new era
After joining Leeds in 1963, Giles became one of the finest central midfielders in England, helping Leeds win the Second Division title in his first season. In 1965, Leeds and Giles were on the verge of making history, as they were challenging for a League championship and FA Cup "double". However, they ultimately missed out the League to United and FA Cup to Liverpool.
Giles had formed a strong partnership with teammate Billy Bremner, and this led to manager Don Revie building a new team around them. While Bremner was the ball-winner, Giles was the creative force that helped Leeds unlock defenses.
A period of hits and misses
The 1967–68 season was a historical one for Leeds, as they won both the League Cup and the Fairs Cup. It was the first time Giles had his season overshadowed by injuries though, which meant he missed the second leg of the Fairs Cup final.
Giles was instrumental for Leeds in the following season, as they became league champions with a then-record 67 points from 42 games. This was at a time when 2 points were rewarded for a win.
The 1970 and 1971 period was one of heartbreak for Giles and Leeds, as they missed out on several coveted titles despite being close.
Giles and Leeds managed to win the FA Cup in 1972, as they beat Arsenal 1-0 in the final. However, they suffered heartbreak in the league once again, losing the league to Derby by a point after losing their final game to Wolves.
The year of 1973 saw further heartbreak, as Leeds lost the FA Cup final and European Cup Winners Cup to Sunderland and AC Milan respectively. It was also during this time that Giles combined his Leeds duties with a spell as player-manager of his country.
Final years
An astonishing 29-match unbeaten run saw Giles and his teammates win a second league title in 1974. However, this was followed by the shocking news of manager Revie quitting to take over the England team.
Revie himself recommended Leeds for Giles to succeed him, with the Irish midfielder approaching the end of his playing career. Despite this recommendation, Leeds decided to controversially choose Brian Clough as their new manager, who was publicly critical of Leeds in the past.
Clough's tenure as Leeds manager was a failure, which led to Jimmy Armfield being their new manager soon, as Giles still did not get the job.
Despite all the manager talk, Giles was focused on helping Leeds as a player. He himself never applied for the Leeds vacancy on those two occasions, his name had instead been put forward as a candidate by others.
Giles managed to help Leeds reach the 1975 European final, but his European dreams ended in heartbreak as Bayern beat Leeds 2-0. That year was also his final one with Leeds, as their legendary Irish midfielder departed to West Bromwich Albion after an unforgettable 12 years with the club.
