Patrick Joseph Bonner (born 24 May 1960) is an Irish retired footballer who played as a goalkeeper and spent his entire senior career at Celtic.
In August 1977, Bonner had agreed a deal to sign for League of Ireland side Finn Harps on a 6-month contract after impressing in a guest appearance in a friendly against English team Stoke City F.C.
[citation needed] For the remainder of the Eoin Hand managerial era, Bolton Wanderers Jim McDonagh remained Ireland's first choice goalkeeper.
Bonner claimed his 75th international cap on his 34th birthday in a 1–0 win over Bolivia at Lansdowne Road which at the time equalled the Republic of Ireland record held by Liam Brady.
However, a last-minute winning goal for Scotland gave Ireland, and Bonner, a first appearance at the UEFA European Championship.
However, in the second half, Bonner produced a number of outstanding saves to keep Ireland in the lead, most notably from Gary Lineker, and was named Man of the Match.
Ireland narrowly missed out on a semi-final appearance, conceding a goal in the dying minutes of their final group match against eventual champions, the Netherlands.
[11][12] Bonner missed the opening qualifying game for the 1990 FIFA World Cup away to Northern Ireland due to a back injury.
With Ireland 1–0 down late in the game, Bonner delivered a determined clearance all the way to the English penalty area, setting up Kevin Sheedy's equaliser.
While Bonner's role in the goal itself was minimal, the look of sheer determination on his face has been remembered as one of the defining moments of Ireland's inaugural appearance in the tournament.
Ireland's second round fixture against Romania went to a penalty shootout, where the score was tied at 4–4 with one kick remaining for each team.
Bonner made a simple save from a poorly taken penalty by Daniel Timofte, setting up David O'Leary to score the winning Irish kick.
A draw would mean Ireland needed the Spain-Denmark game, happening simultaneously, to finish in a win for one of the two sides.
Bonner's saves throughout the tournament were key to Ireland's goal-difference remaining on par with Denmark and ensuring eventual qualification.
Bonner struggled to maintain his place in the Ireland squad during the UEFA Euro 1996 qualification campaign, playing only one match, as captain, in a 4–0 win over Liechtenstein at Lansdowne Road.
Bonner remains a cultural icon in Ireland for his role in some of the most memorable moments in Irish sporting history.
[20] His son Andrew was also a footballer who played as a striker for the Republic of Ireland youth teams[21] and in the Scottish Junior leagues at club level, and was later an amateur distance runner.