The most expensive player in the world makes his debut for the most well-known team in the world at a suburban Dublin stadium with 3,000 seats. Soccer often yields unexpected results, and the July 2009 match between Shamrock Rovers and Real Madrid was one such instance. It was a quiet preseason friendly that gained international attention when Cristiano Ronaldo made his debut for the Spanish powerhouse.

The Portuguese attacker defeated the finest defenders in the world, including Puyol, Van Dijk, and Godín, throughout the course of the next nine years, bringing about unprecedented success. However, it all began with a very different kind of opponent in the form of right-back Pat Flynn, a semi-professional: “That day, I was marking Ronaldo at corners.” Before the game, I recall Michael O’Neill reading out who we would be marking in the changing room. Higuaín, Ronaldo, Benzema, and Raúl. We all started laughing out loud as he started to rattle off the names. Every one of them was excellent. It was a wonderful, totally unanticipated experience.

You have to know where Real Madrid had been in order to comprehend how Ronaldo wound up at Shamrock Rovers. Spain’s top team have underperformed by their own high standards for almost ten years. Enmeshed in a losing struggle for national dominance against a Barcelona led by Lionel Messi, the team had watched in jealousy as their Catalan rivals secured the Champions League the previous May, solidifying their status as the top team in Europe. It just wouldn’t work.

Real went on a spending binge, shattering the global transfer record, spurred by the election of Florentino Pérez as the new club president in June. Two times. within a week.

First, for £56 million, the Brazilian sensation Kaká arrived. Two days later, Ronaldo—the focal point of Real Madrid’s reconstruction—joined him. Scenes during the Portuguese forward’s introduction validated the hopes that supporters had for their revamped squad: the Gálacticos 2.0 was arrived.

80,000 supporters went crazy at the Santiago Bernabéu on an oppressively hot day as Ronaldo said with pride that the transfer was the realization of a childhood dream. The world was now waiting for the first look at the signing that broke all records.

However, from where would it originate? Real’s old house? Or some other prestigious European location? Not exactly. Real Madrid left for Ireland with pre-season plans firmly set in stone. Thus, Ronaldo set out with his new companions to travel to Tallaght, where Shamrock Rovers was waiting.

Flynn remembers, “There had been some rumors in the camp that Madrid might be coming over for a training camp.” After then, everything took off. A few days after Ronaldo signed, someone I worked with informed me that the Madrid match had been confirmed. When it was eventually revealed that they would be visiting Tallaght, it came as a huge surprise because there had been speculation that it might take place at the Aviva Stadium.

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Confirmed as planned, the match took the country by storm and propelled Rovers to unprecedented heights in a nation more interested in other sports. “It was rare to get the back page of a newspaper around the League of Ireland, but now the media was all over us.” The club was contacted by Sky Sports News to conduct interviews. It was unlike anything we had ever experienced before.

Naturally, the larger community in the town had none either. Though historically one of Ireland’s most successful clubs, Rovers had fallen on hard times, with a recent past clouded by serious financial problems, points deductions and, ultimately, relegation from the country’s top division in 2005.

Having returned at the first time of asking, a visit from the European heavyweights became the hottest ticket in town, proving so successful in re-engaging the local community that temporary stands were erected to increase the Tallaght Stadium capacity to 10,000. Even yet, the more enterprising members of the team made a handsome profit thanks to the demand for tickets.

“My mother requested a ticket even though I don’t think she had ever attended a game before. The participants received a set quantity, and because demand was so great, I believe some may have ended up on eBay. People were phoning you left, right, and center for them. The majority-working-class neighborhood of Tallaght benefited greatly from Real Madrid’s visit. You never would have imagined it to occur.

A comparison of Real and Rover’s respective positions within the global football ecosystem served to heighten the shock impact. While the Spaniards splashed cash on their marquee signing and a reported £180,000 weekly wage, the Irish club stood at the opposite end of the spectrum. Weekly remuneration ranged from €400-1,000 per week and an official semi-professional categorisation served to accentuate the divide.

Like many of his teammates, football served as a secondary source of income for Flynn, who juggled on-pitch commitments with a full-time job. He played ninety minutes a week as a Hoops defender. Off the pitch, a sales job at Coca-Cola paid the bills.

“The few days before the game at work were mad. Everyone wanted to talk about the game. Sales were up that week I can tell you, I felt like a superstar,” remembers the defender. This superstar status, though, was juxtaposed by his method of transport to the game. “I like to keep busy, so I actually worked a full shift on the day of the game. I went from work to the game, so turned up in my company van. It was funny, Madrid arriving in their state-of-the-art bus and there was me parked next to them in my red Coca-Cola van.”

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Shamrock Rovers would mix it up with the big boys for one night only, so the gap was as obvious as it was inconsequential. With access to the elite behind the scenes, their enthusiasm leading up to the match threatened to overwhelm them. “A few youngsters were with us, and they were waiting for Madrid to arrive by sticking their heads out the dressing room door. Trevor Croly, our assistant manager, drew them back in and gave us all a hard time. He said, “Listen, they bleed if you kick them.” They’re simply regular folks, just like you.

Flynn was particularly affected by Croly’s counsel because he had gone all out for his tough guy persona before the game and was consequently the target of a media backlash. “I’ll do more than that, I’ll look to get his blood on my boots,” the defender had said in response to a question about whether he would try to obtain Ronaldo’s shirt after the game.

It’s time for clarification after eleven years. “That actually originated from a matchday program interview. It was a joke, and I had laughed at the conclusion, but it was obviously left out. Before I knew it, Ronaldo was featured in every newspaper, looking immaculate with his shirt off and an eight-pack, next to me covered in blood with the words “I’m coming to get him” written in huge, strong letters. This proved beyond a doubt the new territory Rovers were venturing into.

It took exactly seventeen seconds in the end. Flynn had seventeen seconds from the first whistle to introduce himself to the priciest player in the world. The Real Madrid player began with a dribble that was uncharacteristically sharp, and then he played with an unusually careless touch. Then Flynn left Ronaldo in a heap with a strong but fair slide tackle. The chorus of “who are ya?” from the entire crowd met him as he stood up. Cristiano, welcome to Tallaght.

Many Liverpool supporters reside in Dublin, therefore they were pleased to see an ex-United player pass away. I can go back and say that I faced the best player in the world, which was fantastic for me.

The remainder of the match went out without any major incidents, with Rovers holding their rivals at bay and Real earning crucial minutes toward returning to full strength. Cruelly, Flynn learned from the experience and was there any surprise along the way? Karim Benzema scored with minutes remaining to steal a dream draw from the Irish team.

“You suddenly realize how physically large they are all.” Lassana Diarra, their smallest player, was extremely difficult to shake off the ball. They look pretty intimidating standing next to them in their white uniform in the tunnel before the game. Many teams, in my opinion, are defeated before they are eliminated.

Not only is the Real Madrid team talented athletically, but Flynn has always remembered them for their humility. “After the game, all of them were excellent, but Marcelo in particular deserves special recognition.” After we exchanged a few words in the tunnel after we were both substituted at halftime, I was given his jersey. After a duration of two minutes, I hear someone knocking on our changing room door—it’s him and the kit man. Though it seems like they want the clothing back, he was really there to beg for mine. I’d like to think he has anything left in him. I explain to my youngster that it is suspended over his hearth.

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Flynn’s shirt will be in fine company with a selection of the best shirts in Europe, each of which tells a unique tale of Real Madrid’s victorious 2010s, wherever it now lives at Casa Marcelo. Not just them, though, relished a prosperous decade.

Inspired by that night in Tallaght, Shamrock Rovers saw a rise in their own in the years after the friendly. According to Flynn, “it engaged more fans in the first place.” “They joined us right away after realizing we were a local team and have remained with us ever since.” It was huge for the team as well. We all agreed that it was a great experience overall and that it should happen more frequently. It motivated us as we realized we needed to win leagues in order to do it.

Rovers achieved their desired outcome with this new drive. The team qualified for the Europa League after winning the League of Ireland twice in a row in 2010 and 2011. Another European powerhouse waited after defeating Bnei Yehuda Tel Aviv in the second qualifying round. Rovers might be able to scratch Juventus off their list this time. Juventus was amazing, but Real Madrid was decent as well. That was a unique contest because it was competitive and we had earned the right to be there. Over the two legs, we gave them three chances, and they seized each one. The distinction is that.

What does Flynn consider to be his greatest accomplishment, given his remarkable resume? The Juventus game was, in my opinion, my favorite memory. Like Madrid, they had a team full of superstars – Del Piero, Marchisio, Bonucci – and the away leg was played in front of about 30,000 fans. I tell people my career highlight was standing in a wall while Del Piero scored a free-kick against us … my only regret is that I didn’t go and celebrate with him.”

Flynn, who is retired now, is still connected to Shamrock Rovers because he coaches their under-13 squad. “I love coaching, but I never thought I’d get into it. Youth players used to have their sights set on going to England, but now they’re focused on making it to the Rovers first team, maybe the games against Madrid and Juventus had something to do with that. All they want to do is have fun and learn.

Naturally, Flynn is delighted to instruct them. “We’ll be doing shooting before training and I’ll tell them, ‘Have a look at this lads, this is how Ronaldo kicks it … and I know this because I played against him.’ By now, I imagine they’re all a little tired of hearing it.

For his part, Ronaldo’s reputation in the world of soccer grew throughout his time at Real Madrid. While Rovers took exploratory steps on the continent, Los Blancos enjoyed a European odyssey of their own, winning four Champions Leagues over the next ten years. The Portuguese star led the way, his individual brilliance acknowledged with four Ballon d’Or awards during his time with the club.

When you see what he went on to achieve, it is easy to forget where it all started – the world’s most expensive player, making his debut for the world’s most famous team at a semi-professional stadium in suburban Dublin.