For certain generations of fans, John Motson was the voice of football.
A mainstay of BBC's Match of The Day for 50 years, the Salford-born broadcaster became a staple of British football from the early 1970s until his retirement in 2018.
Motson along with Barry Davies and Brian Moore, was a trailblazer in his craft. Everyone that has followed in the decades since built upon the groundwork laid by Motson and his contemporaries.
READ MORE: Mick McCarthy and Kevin Kilbane pay tribute to John Motson
The legions of tributes pouring in from modern-day commentators such as Martin Tyler and Clive Tyldesley is evidence of this.
His voice provided the soundtrack for so many iconic moments. Be it Ronnie Radford's goal for non-league Hereford that knocked Newcastle out of the 1972 FA Cup, Ronaldo's unbelievable exclusion from Brazil's original team sheet in the 1998 World Cup final, or Steven Gerrard's FA Cup final heroics against West Ham, Motty was there.
He even dabbled in video game commentary on the FIFA series in the early 2000s.
With such a long and varied career, It's no surprise that Motson commentated on one of the most famous goals in the history of the Republic of Ireland National team.
When Robbie Keane smashed the ball past Oliver Kahn to equalise against Germany at the 2002 World Cup, Motson was there to proclaim "Look at these scenes!" as the Irish fans in attendance went absolutely bonkers.
https://twitter.com/FAIreland/status/871678833526808576
How beautifully he captured that moment, as a sea of green erupted in the stands of Kashima. That goal kept Ireland alive in the competition and gave the Nation hope after a tumultuous few weeks.
We all know the story of that World Cup.
Ireland's campaign was disrupted by the whole Roy Keane v Mick McCarthy Saipan debacle. Keane went home and Ireland bravely went into battle without their commander-in-chief.
McCarthy's side performed brilliantly and made it to the last-16 where they were defeated by Spain on penalties.
Gazika Mendieta put an end to Ireland's World Cup hopes with a coolly slotted spot-kick in the shootout.
A heart-breaking defeat for the Irish side, but they put in a performance that the entire nation can be proud of.
Ireland have never played in a World Cup since, and with the exception of the France 2010 Play-off game, (AKA the Thierry Henry game) we haven't really come close since.
Who knows when Ireland will get back to the grandest stage?
But they were there once, and Motson's magical commentary elevated everything. He provided the words to the last great Irish World Cup moment.
Which begs the question, how many more Nation's most iconic moments were called by John Motson?
He was there for Beckham's free-kick at Old Trafford against Greece. He was there when Ronaldo bagged a brace and won a fifth World Cup for Brazil. He was there when Zinedine Zidane stuck his head in Marco Materazzi's chest in the Frenchman's final ever game in the sport.
Gazza's tears. The Stade de France's cheers. Through it all, Motty was there.
And amongst all the plaudits, that's not a bad legacy to call your own.
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