# Pat Jennings
**Pat Jennings** (Patrick Anthony Jennings, born 1945) is a Northern Irish former goalkeeper who played 23 seasons of league football in England, chiefly for Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal, and won a then [Northern Ireland](https://www.edgepedia.org/northern-ireland) record of 119 caps for Northern Ireland between 1964 and 1986.[1](https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/the-club/history/hall-of-fame/pat-jennings) • [2](https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/the-club/history/legends/pat-jennings) • [3](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/northern-ireland-arsenal-cbe-harry-gregg-steven-davis-b2253814.html) • [15](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66986559)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | Newry, County Down, 1945; position goalkeeper, height 6 ft[1](https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/the-club/history/hall-of-fame/pat-jennings) |
| Club career | 975 league and cup games in England, 1963–1986: Watford 52, Tottenham 596, Arsenal 327[4](https://www.irishfa.com/news/2020/june/ni-hall-of-fame-pat-jennings) |
| Tottenham honors | FA Cup 1967, League Cup 1971 and 1973, UEFA Cup 1972; 590 appearances, third on the club's all-time list[2](https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/the-club/history/legends/pat-jennings) |
| Individual awards | Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year 1973; PFA Player of the Year 1976, the first goalkeeper to win it[2](https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/the-club/history/legends/pat-jennings) • [5](https://cherwell.org/?p=31499) |
| International record | 119 caps for Northern Ireland, 1964–1986, a Northern Ireland record, surpassed by Steven Davis in October 2020; 43 clean sheets[3](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/northern-ireland-arsenal-cbe-harry-gregg-steven-davis-b2253814.html) • [4](https://www.irishfa.com/news/2020/june/ni-hall-of-fame-pat-jennings) |
| World Cups | 1982 (Northern Ireland beat hosts Spain 1-0 and reached the second group stage) and 1986 (final appearance on his 41st birthday, against Brazil)[6](https://www.irishfa.com/news/2026/june/born-to-play-pat-jennings) • [7](https://www.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Download/uefaorg/General/02/05/81/98/2058198_DOWNLOAD.pdf) |
| Honours | MBE for services to football, 1976; CBE in the New Year Honours List announced December 2022[4](https://www.irishfa.com/news/2020/june/ni-hall-of-fame-pat-jennings) • [3](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/northern-ireland-arsenal-cbe-harry-gregg-steven-davis-b2253814.html) |
## Early life and start in football
Jennings was born in Newry, County Down, one of eight children, seven boys and one girl.[1](https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/the-club/history/hall-of-fame/pat-jennings) He attended St Joseph's, a [Gaelic football](https://www.edgepedia.org/gaelic-football) playing school where soccer was banned, and his first organized football came at age 11 for Shamrock Rovers, an under-19 side in the local Newry league.[1](https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/the-club/history/hall-of-fame/pat-jennings) • [8](https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/1056946/pat-at-60-the-early-days) He later credited Gaelic football for his signature one-handed catches, saying the skill was about timing and confidence rather than hand size.[9](https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/jennings-looks-on-in-wonderment-at-tottenham-s-brave-new-world-1.3872786)
He came to goalkeeping by accident. Having left school at 15 to work in a linen factory and then in a timber gang with his father, he had essentially stopped playing when his brother Brian, a Northern Ireland Amateur international with Newry United, told him the team's goalkeeper had gone to England for work and invited him to training.[3](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/northern-ireland-arsenal-cbe-harry-gregg-steven-davis-b2253814.html) • [1](https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/the-club/history/hall-of-fame/pat-jennings) Three months later the team won the Irish Junior Cup, and Jennings was selected for the Northern Ireland youth team, reaching the final of a European junior tournament against England at Wembley.[5](https://cherwell.org/?p=31499) • [3](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/northern-ireland-arsenal-cbe-harry-gregg-steven-davis-b2253814.html)
Watford manager Ron Burgess, a former Spurs captain, spotted him at that youth tournament and signed him in May 1963 for a fee of £6,000.[1](https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/the-club/history/hall-of-fame/pat-jennings) Jennings played all 52 of Watford's competitive games in 1963-64 in the old Third Division, and his form there earned both his first senior Northern Ireland cap and a transfer to [Tottenham](https://www.edgepedia.org/tottenham).[1](https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/the-club/history/hall-of-fame/pat-jennings)
## Tottenham Hotspur, 1964–1977
Bill Nicholson signed Jennings for Spurs on 9 June 1964 for a reported £27,500 fee.[2](https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/the-club/history/legends/pat-jennings) He made his first-division debut in a 2-0 home win over Sheffield United on the opening day of the 1964-65 season, 22 August, and for two years shared the goalkeeping place with Bill Brown before becoming first choice in 1966-67.[2](https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/the-club/history/legends/pat-jennings)
The 1967 [FA Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/fa-cup) win, which Jennings called the high point of his club career, began a run of four major trophies: the FA Cup in 1967, the League Cup in 1971 and 1973, and the UEFA Cup in 1972.[3](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/northern-ireland-arsenal-cbe-harry-gregg-steven-davis-b2253814.html) • [2](https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/the-club/history/legends/pat-jennings) In the 1967 Charity Shield he scored against Manchester United, lobbing goalkeeper Alex Stepney with a long clearance; the match ended 3-3 and the trophy was shared.[10](https://nationalfootballmuseum.com/halloffame/pat-jennings/) • [11](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/goalkeepers-who-scored-goals)
His individual recognition came in the 1970s: the Football Writers' Association named him Footballer of the Year for 1972-73, and in 1976 the Professional Footballers' Association named him Player of the Year, the first goalkeeper to receive that award.[2](https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/the-club/history/legends/pat-jennings) • [5](https://cherwell.org/?p=31499) He left in August 1977 after 590 appearances, third behind Steve Perryman (854) and Gary Mabbutt (611) on the club's all-time list, a club record for a goalkeeper.[2](https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/the-club/history/legends/pat-jennings)
## Arsenal, 1977–1985
Spurs manager Keith Burkinshaw allowed Jennings to join [North London](https://www.edgepedia.org/north-london) rivals Arsenal in 1977 for £45,000, judging that at 32 his best days were behind him.[4](https://www.irishfa.com/news/2020/june/ni-hall-of-fame-pat-jennings) Jennings later learned from Bill Nicholson's memoir that the sale was driven by coming legislation that would have let him leave on a free transfer after one further season.[3](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/northern-ireland-arsenal-cbe-harry-gregg-steven-davis-b2253814.html)
The decision backfired for Spurs. Jennings played in three successive FA Cup finals between 1978 and 1980, winning the middle one against Manchester United in 1979, and collected a European Cup-Winners' Cup runners-up medal.[4](https://www.irishfa.com/news/2020/june/ni-hall-of-fame-pat-jennings) • [3](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/northern-ireland-arsenal-cbe-harry-gregg-steven-davis-b2253814.html) He is described as probably the only player well remembered by both sets of supporters in the [North London derby](https://www.edgepedia.org/north-london-derby), in which he appeared 32 times, 23 for Spurs and 9 for Arsenal.[12](https://as.com/us/futbol/tottenham-vs-arsenal-que-jugadores-han-vestido-ambas-camisetas-n/)
## Northern Ireland
Jennings made his full international debut on 15 April 1964 against Wales in Swansea, a 3-2 win in the [British Home Championship](https://www.edgepedia.org/british-home-championship), alongside a 17-year-old [George Best](https://www.edgepedia.org/george-best); he was then 18 years and 308 days old.[4](https://www.irishfa.com/news/2020/june/ni-hall-of-fame-pat-jennings) • [6](https://www.irishfa.com/news/2026/june/born-to-play-pat-jennings) He took over from [Harry Gregg](https://www.edgepedia.org/harry-gregg), the goalkeeper of the 1958 World Cup side.[3](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/northern-ireland-arsenal-cbe-harry-gregg-steven-davis-b2253814.html)
His 119 caps over 22 years stood as the Northern Ireland record until [Steven Davis](https://www.edgepedia.org/steven-davis) passed it in October 2020; Jennings remains the only Northern Irish footballer to reach a century of caps among goalkeepers and was, at retirement, the country's most-capped player.[3](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/northern-ireland-arsenal-cbe-harry-gregg-steven-davis-b2253814.html) • [7](https://www.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Download/uefaorg/General/02/05/81/98/2058198_DOWNLOAD.pdf) • [6](https://www.irishfa.com/news/2026/june/born-to-play-pat-jennings) • [15](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66986559) He started all 119 matches, was substituted in only five, and played 10,478 minutes for his country, keeping 43 clean sheets; his record across the 22 years was 40 wins, 30 draws, and 49 defeats.[4](https://www.irishfa.com/news/2020/june/ni-hall-of-fame-pat-jennings) The caps came while he was at four clubs: Spurs (71), Arsenal (42), Everton (4), and Watford (2).[4](https://www.irishfa.com/news/2020/june/ni-hall-of-fame-pat-jennings)
**The 1982 World Cup** in Spain was his first major tournament, Northern Ireland having not qualified since 1958. He conceded one goal in three group-stage games, including a clean sheet in the famous 1-0 victory over the host nation in Valencia, and the team reached the second group stage.[6](https://www.irishfa.com/news/2026/june/born-to-play-pat-jennings) • [7](https://www.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Download/uefaorg/General/02/05/81/98/2058198_DOWNLOAD.pdf) In a qualifier at Wembley on 13 November 1985, the 40-year-old made a string of saves, including one from [Glenn Hoddle](https://www.edgepedia.org/glenn-hoddle), to secure the 0-0 draw that sent Northern Ireland to the 1986 finals in Mexico.[6](https://www.irishfa.com/news/2026/june/born-to-play-pat-jennings)
His final match came at Mexico '86 against Brazil, on his 41st birthday; Northern Ireland lost 3-0.[7](https://www.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Download/uefaorg/General/02/05/81/98/2058198_DOWNLOAD.pdf) • [4](https://www.irishfa.com/news/2020/june/ni-hall-of-fame-pat-jennings) Between February 1985 and March 1986 he also set the longest run without conceding a goal by any Northern Ireland goalkeeper, 633 minutes, from a 2-1 defeat by England at [Windsor Park](https://www.edgepedia.org/windsor-park) on 27 February 1985 to a 1-1 friendly draw with Denmark on 26 March 1986.[4](https://www.irishfa.com/news/2020/june/ni-hall-of-fame-pat-jennings)
## Style of play and recognition
Jennings never received formal goalkeeping coaching, and contemporaries describe him as unorthodox: he came for crosses and caught the ball with one hand, a habit carried over from Gaelic football, and commanded his penalty area with visible calm.[13](https://www.goalkeepersaredifferent.com/keeper/goalkeeping_greats.htm) • [9](https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/jennings-looks-on-in-wonderment-at-tottenham-s-brave-new-world-1.3872786) He played without gloves for much of his career, in an era of heavy pitches and hard shots.[14](https://www.irishfa.com/news/2019/february/gordon-banks-pat-jennings-says-england-star-was-the-greatest-goalkeeper-ever) He made more than 1,000 first-class appearances in total, a milestone marked in an Arsenal photograph from February 1983.[10](https://nationalfootballmuseum.com/halloffame/pat-jennings/)
He was appointed MBE in 1976 and CBE in the New Year Honours List announced in December 2022, which he called "without a doubt" the biggest and best of his accolades.[4](https://www.irishfa.com/news/2020/june/ni-hall-of-fame-pat-jennings) • [3](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/northern-ireland-arsenal-cbe-harry-gregg-steven-davis-b2253814.html) A statue in his honor was unveiled in Northern Ireland in November 2023.[11](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/goalkeepers-who-scored-goals)
## Later career
After retiring from league football at the end of the 1984-85 season, Jennings re-joined Spurs briefly in 1985-86, playing mostly reserve games to prepare for the 1986 World Cup.[4](https://www.irishfa.com/news/2020/june/ni-hall-of-fame-pat-jennings) He returned to Tottenham in 1993 as a goalkeeping consultant on the coaching staff and has worked with first-team and academy goalkeepers under successive managers; he was also briefly a goalkeeping coach for Northern Ireland when [Lawrie McMenemy](https://www.edgepedia.org/lawrie-mcmenemy) took over the international side in 1998.[2](https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/the-club/history/legends/pat-jennings) • [4](https://www.irishfa.com/news/2020/june/ni-hall-of-fame-pat-jennings)
## References
1. [Pat Jennings, Hall of Fame fact file, Tottenham Hotspur](https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/the-club/history/hall-of-fame/pat-jennings)
2. [Pat Jennings, Legends, Tottenham Hotspur](https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/the-club/history/legends/pat-jennings)
3. [Northern Ireland great Pat Jennings celebrates being made a CBE, The Independent](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/northern-ireland-arsenal-cbe-harry-gregg-steven-davis-b2253814.html)
4. [NI Hall of Fame: Pat Jennings, Irish FA](https://www.irishfa.com/news/2020/june/ni-hall-of-fame-pat-jennings)
5. [Interview: Pat Jennings, Cherwell](https://cherwell.org/?p=31499)
6. [Born to Play: Pat Jennings, Irish FA](https://www.irishfa.com/news/2026/june/born-to-play-pat-jennings)
7. [UEFA EURO 2016 qualifying draw media guide](https://www.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Download/uefaorg/General/02/05/81/98/2058198_DOWNLOAD.pdf)
8. [Pat at 60: The early days, Tottenham Hotspur](https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/1056946/pat-at-60-the-early-days)
9. [Jennings looks on in wonderment at Tottenham's brave new world, The Irish Times](https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/jennings-looks-on-in-wonderment-at-tottenham-s-brave-new-world-1.3872786)
10. [Pat Jennings, National Football Museum Hall of Fame](https://nationalfootballmuseum.com/halloffame/pat-jennings/)
11. [Goalkeepers who scored goals, FourFourTwo](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/goalkeepers-who-scored-goals)
12. [Tottenham vs Arsenal: jugadores que han vestido ambas camisetas, Diario AS](https://as.com/us/futbol/tottenham-vs-arsenal-que-jugadores-han-vestido-ambas-camisetas-n/)
13. [Football's Greatest Goalkeepers, Goalkeepers are Different](https://www.goalkeepersaredifferent.com/keeper/goalkeeping_greats.htm)
14. [Gordon Banks: Pat Jennings pays tribute, Irish FA](https://www.irishfa.com/news/2019/february/gordon-banks-pat-jennings-says-england-star-was-the-greatest-goalkeeper-ever)
15. [Pat Jennings: Newry statue to honour legendary keeper to be unveiled in November](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66986559)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football people and teams › People › Men's footballers of the British Isles (modern era) › Northern Irish footballers*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
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