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Lore & Background

Frank Stapleton's career is defined by his powerful heading and goal-scoring prowess. He started at Arsenal in 1972 as an apprentice after being turned down by Manchester United. He made his first-team debut in March 1975 against Stoke City and formed a potent striking partnership with Malcolm Macdonald, scoring 46 goals between them in 1976–77. Stapleton was Arsenal's top scorer for three consecutive seasons and helped the Gunners reach three FA Cup finals. He scored one of the goals in Arsenal's 1979 FA Cup Final 3–2 win over Manchester United, and netted 108 goals in 300 appearances for the club.

In Their Own Story

In the summer of 1981, Stapleton moved to Manchester United for £900,000, a fee set by tribunal. He helped United win the 1983 and 1985 FA Cups. In the 1983 final, he scored against Brighton, making history as the first man to score for two different clubs in FA Cup Finals. United finished in the top four of the league in each of his first five seasons, and came close to winning the league in 1985–86 after winning their first ten games before finishing fourth. After Alex Ferguson replaced Ron Atkinson in November 1986, Stapleton remained a regular until Brian McClair arrived. He then moved to Ajax in 1987 on Arnold Mühren's recommendation, making six appearances and scoring one goal against Dundalk in the Cup Winners Cup. He had a short loan spell at Anderlecht without making an appearance, then played on loan for three months with Derby County before captaining Ireland at Euro 1988.

Reader's Guide

Frank Stapleton's international career with the Republic of Ireland is a major part of his legacy. He won 71 caps and scored a then-record 20 goals. He made his debut under player-manager Johnny Giles in a friendly against Turkey in Ankara in 1976, scoring after three minutes with a header from a Giles free-kick. Stapleton insisted on an 'international release clause' in all his contracts to play for Ireland. He played a significant role in qualifying for the 1982 World Cup, scoring against Cyprus, the Netherlands, and France, but Ireland missed out on goal difference. He was made captain for the 1986 World Cup qualifying campaign. Under Jack Charlton, he remained captain despite a sometimes uneasy relationship. He scored a diving header in the opening Euro 1988 qualifier against Belgium in a 2–2 draw at Heysel Stadium, and also scored against Bulgaria and Luxembourg. He captained Ireland to the Euro 1988 finals, playing in all matches including the famous victory against England. He made two appearances during qualification for the 1990 World Cup and scored an 87th-minute goal against Malta in a friendly just before those finals.

Did You Know?

• Frank Stapleton made history by becoming the first man to score for two different clubs in FA Cup Finals, scoring for Arsenal in 1979 and Manchester United in 1983.
• He scored 108 goals in 300 appearances for Arsenal and was the club's top scorer for three consecutive seasons.
• Stapleton scored on his international debut for the Republic of Ireland after just three minutes, heading home a Johnny Giles free-kick.
• He was the Republic of Ireland's all-time leading goalscorer with 20 goals, a record later broken by Niall Quinn.
• Stapleton managed the New England Revolution as their first-ever manager, recording their first win on 20 April 1996 against the MetroStars.