On 26th May 1992, Lansdowne Road was alive with the cheers of Irish fans as Ireland secured a 2-0 win over Albania, thanks to goals from John Aldridge and Paul McGrath. But for one Albanian player on the pitch that day, the match would prove life-changing. Now, over 30 years later, that man, former Albanian defender Rudi Vata, is sharing his incredible journey from Communist defector to Celtic hero and now as the father of an Irish international starlet.
For Rudi Vata, whose rigorous training included running up five-story apartment buildings in Albania, playing against Ireland was a pivotal moment. His hard work caught the eye of then-Celtic manager and Irish legendary footballer Liam Brady, who quickly signed him to the Scottish club. Vata’s years at Celtic came during a challenging era for the team, but he managed to secure a Scottish Cup win in 1995 and make a lasting mark on Celtic fans.
However, Vata’s story stretches well beyond the football pitch. A year before that iconic game in Dublin, he’d defected from Communist Albania in dramatic fashion, slipping away from his team’s hotel in Paris after a match in which he’d marked none other than Eric Cantona. With only his boots and Cantona’s jersey, he sought asylum in France, making his way to safety and freedom.
By 1992, Albania’s Communist regime had fallen, allowing Vata to rejoin the national team just in time for that fateful match in Dublin. This Thursday, Novemeber 21, at the Academy Plaza Hotel in Du.