 Forde lining up for theRepublic of Ireland in 2013 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | David Forde[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1979-12-20)20 December 1979 (age 45)[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Galway, Ireland | ||
| Height | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Newcastle United | |||
| Galway Hibernians | |||
| 1996 | Belvedere[3] | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1999–2001 | Galway United | 38 | (0) |
| 2001–2002 | Barry Town | 16 | (0) |
| 2002–2004 | West Ham United | 0 | (0) |
| 2003 | →Derry City (loan) | ||
| 2003 | →Barnet (loan) | 7 | (0) |
| 2004 | Oldham Athletic | ||
| 2004–2006 | Derry City | ||
| 2006–2008 | Cardiff City | 7 | (0) |
| 2007 | →Luton Town (loan) | 5 | (0) |
| 2008 | →AFC Bournemouth (loan) | 11 | (0) |
| 2008–2017 | Millwall | 299 | (0) |
| 2016–2017 | →Portsmouth (loan) | 46 | (0) |
| 2017–2019 | Cambridge United | 43 | (0) |
| Total | 443 | (0) | |
| International career | |||
| 2011–2016 | Republic of Ireland | 24 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
David Forde (born 20 December 1979) is an Irish former professionalfootballer who played as agoalkeeper. Internationally, Forde played for theRepublic of Ireland between 2011 and 2016 and was part of the team's23-man squad for the2012 European Championships. In 2013, he became the oldest player to make their competitive debut for the Republic of Ireland, when he played againstSweden at the age of 33.
Forde started his career with his hometown clubGalway United in 1999. After two seasons with Galway, he moved toWelsh League ChampionsBarry Town and from there toWest Ham United. Forde failed to make a first team appearance for West Ham, and after loan spells withDerry City andBarnet he returned to Ireland on a permanent basis, playing with Galway United and then Derry City. In 2007 Forde returned to the English leagues, joiningChampionship sideCardiff City. During his time with Cardiff, Forde made loan moves toLuton Town andAFC Bournemouth. In 2008, he moved toMillwall, for whom he has made more professional appearances than all his previous clubs together. In 2016, after eight seasons with Millwall, Forde went out on loan toPortsmouth inLeague Two. In 2017 Forde joinedCambridge United and retired after being released by them two years later.
Born inGalway,[1] Forde grew up in the west side of the city.[4] He received his primary education at St. Patrick's Boys' School in the city and his secondary education fromSt. Joseph's Patrician College.[5][6][7]
Forde played football for local underage sides in Galway in his youth, representing Newcastle United and Galway Hibernians.[4] He was scouted byDublin-based club,Belvedere and played for their youth teams.[8][9]
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Forde made hisLeague of Ireland debut for his hometown sideGalway United atTerryland Park on 3 September 1999. His form led to a move to Welsh sideBarry Town. Here, he continued to show his potential as an excellent shot stopper, playing in sixteen league matches for the club,[10] and in February 2002, he joinedWest Ham United for a fee of £75,000.[11] Forde initially had a trial atUpton Park before earning a professional contract. He was recommended to the 'Hammers' by Barry Town bossKenny Brown, a formerWest Ham player.[12]
Initially, Forde had ambitions of "looking to make the first team" at a time whenDavid James was firmly established asEngland'sWorld Cup number one, however, the signing ofRaimond van der Gouw in the summer of 2002 pushed him further down the pecking order.
At the start of the 2002/2003 season, managerGlenn Roeder made Forde available for loan and it was then when Forde first joinedDerry City. After spending the season on loan atThe Brandywell, Forde moved back to his hometown and signed forLeague of Ireland First Division sideGalway United.[13]
It was at Galway that Forde built a fine reputation in Irish football circles and his form earned him a permanent move back toDerry City for the 2005 season. During this season and the next, he was ever present for 'City', consistently producing excellent performances and helping them to a second-place finish in theLeague of Ireland Premier Division on both occasions.[citation needed]
Forde also played in all six games (and registered three clean sheets) during the Candystripes' run to the first round proper of theUEFA Cup, and helped the club win the2006 FAI Cup.[citation needed]
On 5 December 2006, it was announced that Forde had signed a two-and-a-half-year contract withFootball League Championship sideCardiff City[14] following the expiry of his contract withDerry City. He stated that the move back toWales, where he began his cross-channel career, was "a dream come true". He joined the club and hoped to challengeNeil Alexander for the number one spot immediately, with an international spot surely not too far away. Even after he leftDerry City forCardiff City his contributions during the 2006 season were recognised byeircom and the Soccer Writers Association of Ireland who, together, nominated him for their 'Goalkeeper of the Year' award on 13 December. Forde made several appearances for Cardiff at the end of the 2006/07 season after first choiceNeil Alexander was dropped due to a contract dispute with the club. With Alexander leaving the club he was expected to battle for the number 1 shirt withMichael Oakes andRoss Turnbull.
In August 2007 Forde signed a one-month loan deal atLuton Town[15] and returned to Cardiff having made six first team appearances, five in the league and one in theLeague Cup, for the club. He found himself to be third choice goalkeeper at Cardiff during the 2007/08 season behindMichael Oakes and loaneesRoss Turnbull,Kasper Schmeichel andPeter Enckelman. On 22 January he was due to sign on an emergency loan deal atAFC Bournemouth but was told on his way to his first match that Bournemouth had been placed under a transfer block after attempting to enter administration and the deal had been cancelled. He drove back to Cardiff and instead played in their 1–0 win overWelshpool Town in theFAW Premier Cup.
On 31 January he was set to joinScottish Premier League sideDundee United on loan but the move was blocked by theScottish Football Association because players are not allowed to play in three countries in one season, Forde having played for Luton and in the FAW Premier Cup, but the decision was appealed by Dundee United[16] but was eventually denied byFIFA. He eventually signed for Bournemouth on a one-week emergency loan after the club were granted permission to sign him, making his debut on 8 March againstLeeds United and playing againstOldham Athletic three days later, both matches ending in a 2–0 defeat. His loan spell was extended by another week before the clubs eventually agreed for it to run until the end of the season on 27 March.[17] He made a total of 11 appearances for the club before returning to Cardiff, where he was released on his return.[18]
On 5 June 2008, he signed a two-year deal atLeague One sideMillwall,[19] making his debut for the club on the opening day of the season in a 4–3 defeat toOldham Athletic. On 30 August 2008, in his fifth game for the club, Forde saved a dramatic last-minuteDavid Unsworth penalty which saw Millwall pick up their first home win of the campaign as they beatHuddersfield Town 2–1.[20] Forde also saved a penalty fromJermaine Beckford in the semi-final of theLeague one play off, which guided his team through to the final.[21] He played atWembley Stadium in successive years in the2009 Football League One play-off final and the2010 Football League One play-off final being successful in the latter.
Following his Millwall League debut he played all 49 league games for the club in the 2008–09 season (46 regular games, two play-off semi-finals and the Final).[citation needed] Uniquely, he did exactly the same thing the following season—and made his 100th Millwall league appearance on 14 August 2010—two years and five days after his first.[citation needed]
On 28 July 2016, it was announced that Forde would joinPortsmouth on a season-long loan.[22]
On 20 July 2017, Forde signed a one-year deal withLeague Two clubCambridge United.[23]
Forde was released by Cambridge United at the end of the 2018–19 season[24] and announced his retirement on 6 August 2019.[25]
Contrary to certain stories, Forde is not a Welsh former under-21 international. Forde stated, "I'm not sure where that came from, but it's wrong," continuing, "That story started a long time ago when I played for Barry Town and seems to have stuck. I even read that I have a Welsh grandmother, but that's not right. Don't get me wrong because I love it here in Wales, but I am only qualified to play for the Republic of Ireland."[26]
Forde was called up to theRepublic of Ireland squad for the first time on 13 March 2011, after impressing managerGiovanni Trapattoni by keeping 20 clean sheets (out of 46) in Millwall's first season back in theFootball League Championship. Ireland playedMacedonia andUruguay although he remained on the bench for both games.[27]
On 24 May 2011, Forde made his Republic of Ireland debut againstNorthern Ireland, coming on as a substitute for the last 20 minutes of the game which Ireland won 5–0.[28]
He played his debut for Ireland on 7 June 2011 in a friendly international againstItaly, conceding no goals.[29] He played in another friendly international againstGreece on 14 November 2012 and conceded the only goal of the match.[30]
He was selected by Ireland for theUEFA Euro 2012 tournament, alongsideKeiren Westwood andShay Given, however it was the latter who played all the matches. With Given's retirement after the tournament, Westwood briefly took over. But when Westwood stopped being played by his club, Giovanni Trapattoni decided to give Forde a chance in a friendly against Poland.[31] On 6 February 2013, based on Forde's performance in this match which was won 2–0 by Ireland, Trapattoni announced Forde would be Ireland's first-choice goalkeeper.
On 22 March 2013, aged 33, Forde became the oldest player to make his competitive debut for Ireland againstSweden in aWorld Cup qualifier. Ireland kept a clean sheet with Forde's impressive performance helping Ireland to an away point.[32][33] Forde started Ireland's next match againstAustria the following week and despite conceding two goals he put in a solid performance.[34] On 7 June 2013, Forde made his ninth appearance for Ireland in a 3–0 over the Faroe Islands at theAviva Stadium. In a surprising turn of events, Forde made his return to the Irish squad, against Sweden, in a 2014 World Cup qualifier, on 6 September 2013, at the Aviva Stadium in a 1–2 defeat, having been an injury doubt.
Forde continued as number one under the new management ofMartin O'Neill and assistantRoy Keane despiteShay Given returning to the fold starting Ireland's firstUEFA Euro 2016 qualifying game againstGeorgia. Ireland won 2–1 thanks to a late goal byAiden McGeady.[35] On 14 October 2014, Forde started in the memorable 1–1 draw withGermany. He made an important save fromMario Götze to keep the game at 1–0, which proved crucial as Ireland equalized late on thanks toJohn O'Shea to earn a point inGelsenkirchen.[36]
Despite having started UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying as Ireland's first choice goalkeeper, Forde was not among the three goalkeepers selected forUEFA Euro 2016 when Ireland qualified; he lost out to Given, Westwood andDarren Randolph, who started every game at the tournament and soon established himself as Ireland's number one goalkeeper. On 31 May that year, Ireland's final game before the squad announcement occurred atTurner's Cross. After the hour, manager Martin O'Neill told Forde to prepare to play, prompting Westwood, the other goalkeeper on the bench, to remark: "Well, that's not me going now" [to Euro 2016]. Forde later said he felt Westwood's instincts were incorrect and his own sense that he would be overlooked was confirmed shortly after the game when O'Neill brought him aside. Forde later said: "Once the manager called me into the room and told me it was a lonely space. It was a difficult thing to take. Over the last two years, my goal was to go to the Euros, and I had started the campaign.... it was bitterly disappointing". Even so, while leaving Turner's Cross, Forde paused to sign each autograph request – all the while knowing his international career was over. This "remarkable response" was by no means a certainty within the Irish squad, even among those whose continued presence was assured; a nephew of Forde's who had previously requested an autograph from another Ireland footballer in the player's lounge following a match was snubbed.[37]
| Republic of Ireland national team | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 2011 | 2 | 0 |
| 2012 | 2 | 0 |
| 2013 | 11 | 0 |
| 2014 | 8 | 0 |
| 2016 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 24 | 0 |
A documentary,Taming the Lion, focuses on the career of David Forde.[37]
Forde practises the ancient art ofJapa.[37]
Derry City
Millwall
Republic of Ireland
David Forde, the Irish soccer goalie, is a past pupil of St. Pat's
Past student and Ireland and Millwall goalkeeper David Forde visited his alma mater today.
Ireland international goalkeeper David Forde honed his skills at the Bish, as did the new president of the GPA and former Galway hurling captain David Collins; and esteemed Irish rower, and two-time Olympian, Neville Maxwell.
