Shamrock Rovers F.C. is saddened at the passing of ex-Rovers and Ireland player, Noel Peyton.

Noel passed away peacefully in Leeds on the morning of St. Stephen’s Day. We wish to express our sincere sympathies to the members of Noel’s family on their sad loss.

Noel joined the Hoops in 1953 at the age of 17 from the well-known junior side East Wall and very quickly established himself as an inside-right in the team led by the late great Paddy Coad. He was a regular on the team that won the League of Ireland Championship in 1953/54 – his first season at Milltown.

Noel was to hold down his place on the team known popularly as ‘Coad’s Colts’ throughout the golden era of the 1950s. He won honours in all of the major competitions including the FAI Cup in 1955 and 1956. A second league title was to follow in 1956/57.

He won one senior international cap for Ireland while a Rovers player when he lined out against West Germany in a 3-0 win for the Irish at Dalymount Park in November, 1956. He also had one ‘B’ international cap and appeared for the League of Ireland representative team at inter-league level on five occasions.

Noel’s form for Rovers didn’t go unnoticed. He was on the team that played Manchester United (Busby Babes) in the European Cup in 1957. Not long after those games Leeds United made a successful bid for him and his final appearance in the green and white hoops was to be in the infamous abandoned Drumcondra-Rovers clash at Tolka Park on 26th January, 1958.

Noel settled in the city of Leeds where he was to remain for the rest of his life. His football career blossomed at Elland Road where he was to make over 100 appearances over a five-year period playing alongside and for Don Revie as a fellow player and under him as manager. He was at Leeds at the start of the Revie successful era also playing with John Charles, Jack Charlton, Billy Bremner, Bobby Collins and Johnny Giles and was there when the likes of Paul Reaney, Eddie Gray, Norman Hunter all came through the ranks.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam. May his soul rest in peace.