AS today is St Patrick’s Day, it seems appropriate to look back at some of the best three athletes in recent times named after the Irish Saint.
Despite having one of football’s most famous rivalries with an Irishman, in Roy Keane, Patrick Viera makes this list for footballers.
It should not be a debate that Viera was one of the great Premier League midfielders of the 2000’s. The Frenchman captained the invincible Arsenal team in their 2003/2004 campaign.
Viera won three Premier League trophies during his time at Arsenal and four FA Cups. Viera also played for European giants, Inter Milan, Juventus and Manchester City.
It was during his time at Arsenal that Viera became unpopular with Irish people during a pre-game tunnel scuffle with Roy Keane. Let’s hope they can put this aside on St Patrick’s Day.
This next Patrick not only has an Irish first name, but his surname, Mahomes, also has Irish roots.
Patrick Mahomes is one of the greatest NFL Quarterbacks of all time, currently playing for the Kansas City Chiefs. He has led his team to three Super Bowl wins in 2020, 2023 and 2024.
Mahomes won the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player (MVP) in all three Super Bowl victories.
Mahomes’ surname is believed to originate from MacMahon, which is a historically Irish name that traces back to County Clare.
And last but not least, a golfer nicknamed ‘Captain America’ makes this shortlist. It is Patrick Reed, the 2018 Masters winner, who has had a stellar golfing career.
He claimed this nickname after his performances at the Ryder Cup, where he played 12 times and won seven times! He is ranked 18th in the all-time Ryder Cup scoring list.
After his success on the PGA Tour as well, Reed found a place in LIV Golf, where he has earned approximately £35 million.
That is roughly a third of the amount of pints of Guinness that are expected to be consumed during St Patrick’s Day!
