Our series which runs until St Patrick's Day on Saturday begins with a Manchester United title winner who perished at a tragically young age

By Patrick ReillyIn 2008, An Post - Ireland’s national postal service - issued a commemorative stamp to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Munich air disaster. It bore the image of an Irishman who made just four international appearances but is widely considered to be one of Ireland’s finest talents – Liam ‘Billy’ Whelan.During his brief career, the Dubliner established himself as part of Manchester United’s Busby Babes before perishing with 22 other souls when the ill-fated BEA flight 608 failed to take off from a frozen runway in February 1958.A free-scoring inside-forward as the Red Devils successfully pursued league titles in 1956 and 1957, Whelan came from a football family. His brother John plied his trade in the League of Ireland.His father’s death had a profound impact on the eight-year-old Liam with his brother Christy taking up the mantle as head of the family in the Cabra district of Dublin.He came through the ranks at Home Farm before Manchester United signed him in 1953. When the club expressed their interest in taking Whelan overseas, his brother remarked: "It’s about bloody time."A devoted Catholic, the gifted attacker could have become a priest but his football gifts lured him instead to Old Trafford. His faith would play a key role in his life right up until his untimely death at the age of 22.

Ireland pays its respect to Whelan on the 50th anniversary of the Munich Air Disaster

LIAM 'BILLY' WHELAN

Caps, Goals: 4,0



Club: Manchester United 1953 – 1958



Honours: FA Youth Cup 1953

Football League Division One Championship (2): 1955-56 & 1956-57





"His forte was to scheme, to shape possibilities with his skill and excellent vision. He scored so many goals from midfield he would be a wonder of today's game"



- Sir Bobby Charlton on 'Billy' Whelan





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By the time Whelan arrived in Manchester the Red Devils had claimed just three league titles in more than half a century of English football. Manager Matt Busby decided to embrace youth with the motto: ‘If they are good enough, they are old enough.’Whelan made an early impression in the 1953 FA Youth Cup final in which he came on as a substitute. The unknown, slightly awkward-looking youngster excelled against Wolves as United romped home 9-3 on aggregate. Busby’s Babes were starting to cut teeth.A year later, United’s youths went on tour to Switzerland where Whelan made such an impression that scouts from Brazil offered to take him back to South America.The Irishman became a fixture in the United starting XI - wearing the number 8 shirt after making his senior debut in 1955. In one of his earliest games he even had the audacity to nutmeg Stanley Matthews when United played Blackpool.He averaged better than a goal every two games and in United’s 1956-57 title-winning season he racked up 33 goals in 53 appearances. In total he netted 52 goals in 95 games for the club.Whelan suffered from home sickness though and relished the chance to return to his beloved Cabra when on international duty. He earned four caps for the Boys in Green during Ireland’s qualifying campaign for World Cup 1958 with the last of them coming against England at Dalymount Park in May 1957.Ireland went 1-0 up with victory set to give them a strong chance of reaching their first ever World Cup finals. However, the old enemy equalised in the dying seconds and, not for the first time, Irish qualification dreams ended in tears.Whelan did not have far to walk after the heartbreaking defeat with his family home in Cabra only a short journey away from Dalymount Park.Bobby Charlton was first choice by the time United were going to Belgrade for a European Cup quarter-final in February 1958. After goals galore and two league titles Whelan had to compete with the soon-to-be England legend for a first-team place.Whelan preferred to travel home if he was not going to play and he requested to return to Cabra before the team left for Belgrade. Boss Matt Busby said all the team were going and asked Whelan to join them. It was a decision which proved tragic. Just prior to the crash Whelan is reported to have said, "Well, if this is the time then I’m ready."The Munich air disaster stunned football and the player’s funeral brought Dublin to a standstill.Pre-Munich 1958, Manchester United had plenty of fans in Ireland but its aftermath and Whelan’s part in it took the club’s fan base to another level. To this day, the club remains the best-supported in Ireland with the torch being passed from generation to generation in the wake of Whelan’s death.A railway bridge in Cabra was named in his honour in 2006. It was unveiled by Bobby Charlton, who paid tribute to his former team-mate.