Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane paid tribute to the late Liam Miller before yesterday's charity game in his honour.
Miller followed in Keane's footsteps as a Cork native who played for Manchester United in midfield, and Keane went on to sign Miller for Sunderland from the Old Trafford club.
"Having played with and managed Liam Miller, I am glad that I did," Keane said in his programme notes for today's tribute game to Miller at a sold-out Páirc uí Chaoimh, Keane managing the Manchester United XI against an Ireland/Celtic side.
"OK, we all know about Liam's time keeping (or lack of) and that would drive me crazy at times, but he always had that cheeky smile and playful side of his personality that made you let him away with another 'one last chance'.
"Liam's ability as a player can be summed up by the fact that he played for Celtic, Manchester United and the Republic of Ireland, only top-quality players get to represent all three of those teams.
"Since Liam's passing there has been a lot of coverage in the media, but what has been fantastic to see is the public reaction to get behind this game. Its is a credit to everyone who bought a ticket for today's game to support Liam's family and pay tribute to him today," Keane added.