Richard Sadlier

{{Infobox football biography

| name= Richard Sadlier

| fullname = Richard Sadlier

| image =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1979|1|14}}

| birth_place = Dublin, Ireland

| height =

| position = Striker

| youthyears1=

| youthclubs1= Leicester Celtic

| youthyears2=

| youthclubs2= Belvedere

| years1 = 1996–2004

| clubs1 = Millwall

| caps1 = 103

| goals1 = 34

| nationalyears1 =

|nationalteam1 = Republic of Ireland U18

|nationalcaps1 =

|nationalgoals1 =

| nationalyears2 =

|nationalteam2 = Republic of Ireland U20

|nationalcaps2 =

|nationalgoals2 =

| nationalyears3 = 2002

| nationalteam3 = Republic of Ireland

| nationalcaps3 = 1

| nationalgoals3 = 0

}}

Richard Sadlier (born 14 January 1979, in Dublin) is an Irish former professional footballer[https://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/more-beers-fewer-cheers-for-my-return-26237297.html More beers, fewer cheers for my return] independent.ie and former CEO of St Patrick's Athletic.[http://www.eircomloi.ie/news-centre/news-1/july-2008/news-6/index.xml]{{dead link|date=July 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Since retirement from the professional game he has worked as a pundit with RTÉ Sport.{{cite news|first=Kim|last=Bielenberg|url=http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/the-top-10-waiting-in-the-wings-2913850.html|title=The top 10 waiting in the wings|newspaper=Irish Independent|date=22 October 2011|accessdate=22 October 2011}}

Club career

He began his career at youth level with Broadford Rovers before joining Leicester Celtic and Belvedere before joining Millwall F.C. He was educated at St. Benildus College where he excelled on the sports fields.

Richard helped Millwall towards becoming 2000–01 Second Division Champions but was forced to watch from the stand as Millwall reached the 2004 FA Cup Final in his final season. A striker, Sadlier scored 34 goals in 103 starts for Millwall. In an interview with the BBC, Mark McGhee named Sadlier as potentially the best young centre forward he had ever worked with in his managerial career.{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/m/millwall/3080792.stm | work=BBC News | title=Injury forces Sadlier to quit | date=4 September 2003}} In 2003, Sadlier retired from the professional game due to a hip injury at the age of 24.

International career

Sadlier represented his country at the 1997 UEFA European Under-18 Championship, and scored Ireland's goal against Spain in the third-place playoff.

Sadlier's only cap at senior level came against Russia in a friendly at Lansdowne Road on 13 February 2002.{{cite web|url=http://www.soccerscene.ie/sssenior/matchdetails.php?id=373|title=Republic of Ireland 2 – 0 Russia |date=13 February 2002|work=Soccerscene.ie|accessdate=15 November 2010}} He was highly favoured to make Mick McCarthy's final 23-man Republic of Ireland squad for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, but had to withdraw with a hip injury which ultimately ended his football career prematurely.

Board appointment

In 2007, Sadlier was appointed to the board of St Patrick's Athletic F.C.{{cite news|url=http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2007/0619/stpatricks.html |work=RTÉ News |title=Sadlier named on Saints board |date=19 June 2007 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071009004355/http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2007/0619/stpatricks.html |archivedate=9 October 2007 }} He resigned from his post at St Patrick's at the end of the 2009 season.

Media career

In 2006, Sadlier was approached to write a column for the Sunday Independent after previously doing some punditry work with Setanta Sports, he also contributes regularly to Newstalk.

In 2008, Sadlier joined RTÉ's panel of pundits for its League of Ireland coverage, dominated by Monday Night Soccer.{{Cite news |url=http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/mns// |title=RTÉ Sport: Monday Night Soccer |work=RTÉ News |accessdate=12 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080518193930/http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/mns// |archive-date=18 May 2008 |url-status=dead}}{{Cite web |url=http://www.rte.ie/tv/programmes/monday_night_soccer.html |title=Monday Night Soccer |publisher=RTÉ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170916005100/http://www.rte.ie/tv/programmes/monday_night_soccer.html |archive-date=16 September 2017 |url-status=dead |accessdate=30 November 2015}} He later contributed to RTÉ Sport's coverage of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.{{cite news| author=Black, Fergus | url=http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/tv-radio/rte-hopes-ossie-and-squad-will-spur-fans-to-back-home-team-2203365.html | work=Irish Independent | title=RTÉ hopes Ossie and squad will spur fans to back home team | date=2 June 2010 | accessdate=2 June 2010}}{{cite news| author=O'Malley, Carl | url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2010/0602/1224271676683.html | work=The Irish Times | title=RTÉ roll out big guns for their 56 live games | date=2 June 2010 | accessdate=2 June 2010}} He became a panellist on RTÉ Two's Premier Soccer Saturday, and covered the 2010–11 Premier League.{{Cite news |url=http://www.rte.ie/ten/listings/12320669_tv_Premier%20Soccer%20Saturday |title=TV Listings, Radio Listings, 7 day Listings, Satellite & TV Guide, Irish, Radio Guide, Television Guide – RTÉ Ten |work=RTÉ News |accessdate=12 January 2019 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120912135607/http://www.rte.ie/ten/listings/ |archive-date=12 September 2012 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }} In 2012, Sadlier was a studio analyst as part of RTÉ Sport's coverage of UEFA Euro 2012, and also appeared on Craig Doyle Live on 11 June 2012. In June 2013, he was part of RTÉ Sport's coverage of the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup alongside Ronnie Whelan and Kenny Cunningham.

He was also part of RTÉ Sport's studio coverage of the 2014 FIFA World Cup,{{cite web|url=http://www.thescore.ie/new-rte-panel-1501765-Jun2014/ |title=Move over Dunphy… RTÉ adds new faces to World Cup coverage |date=6 June 2014 |work=The Score |accessdate=6 June 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140606212902/http://www.thescore.ie/new-rte-panel-1501765-Jun2014/ |archivedate=6 June 2014 }} the UEFA Euro 2016, the 2018 FIFA World Cup,{{cite web|url=http://www.rte.ie/sport/euro-2016/2016/0601/792547-rte-sport-reveals/|title=RTÉ Sport unveils Euro 2016 coverage|date=2 June 2016|work=RTE Sport|accessdate=31 May 2016}}{{cite web|url= https://presspack.rte.ie/2018/06/06/rte-sport-launches-2018-fifa-world-cup-coverage/|title =RTÉ Sport Launches 2018 FIFA World Cup Coverage|date=6 June 2018|work=RTE Presspack|accessdate=13 May 2020}} UEFA Euro 2020, 2022 FIFA World Cup, and UEFA Euro 2024.{{cite web|url=https://about.rte.ie/2021/06/10/rte-announces-details-of-uefa-euro-2020-coverage-live-and-exclusive/|title=RTÉ announces details of UEFA EURO 2020 coverage – live and exclusive|website=about.rte.ie|date=10 June 2021|accessdate=3 July 2021}}

Personal life

Sadlier got married in 2019 and has a son born in 2023.{{cite web|url= https://www.rte.ie/player/series/the-tommy-tiernan-show/SI0000001918?epguid=IP10001177-07-0008|title=Richard Sadlier on the Tommy Tiernan Show Season 7, Episode 10|date=11 March 2023}} Sadlier has spoken publicly of suffering from depression, particularly following the death of fellow professional Gary Speed.{{cite web|url=http://www.the42.ie/richard-sadlier-i-never-dreamt-about-telling-anyone-in-the-dressing-room-290992-Nov2011/|title=Richard Sadlier: 'I never dreamed about telling anyone in the dressing-room'|first=Adrian|last=Russell|website=The42|accessdate=12 January 2019}} Sadlier holds a BSc in Sports Science from the University of Surrey and a Higher Diploma and MA in Psychotherapy from Dublin Business School.

His autobiography called Recovering was released in 2019 and won the 2019 Irish Sports Book of the Year award.

{{cite web|url= https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/may/11/richie-sadlier-i-thought-id-better-find-out-where-my-abuser-was-millwall-ireland

|title = Richie Sadlier: 'I thought I'd better find out where my abuser was'|date=11 April 2020|work=Guardian|accessdate=13 May 2020}}