Dr. Alan Byrne has been honoured with the Special Merit Award for the 32nd FAI International Awards.

A hugely important figure in Irish football for the last three decades, Alan served as Team Doctor with the Republic of Ireland Men's Senior Team for over 200 games before stepping down this year to concentrate on his role as Medical Director with the FAI.

Alan has been Medical Director with the Football Association of Ireland since 2006 and has introduced a number of key medical programmes, including the Mrs. Brown’s Boys FAI Heart Care Programme which is currently offering a Government backed defibrillator scheme for all Grassroots clubs.

Having worked closely with underage international teams and League of Ireland clubs, Alan has played a crucial role in implementing structures that have helped to save lives across all areas of Irish football.

During the outbreak of COVID-19, Alan was instrumental in shaping the FAI protocols that safeguarded players, coaches, referees, administrators and volunteers around the country, before leading the return to play initiative.

Alan - who is currently in Qatar working for FIFA at the 2022 FIFA World Cup – will continues to serve in his role as FAI Medical Director and his impact to date on Irish football is recognised with this prestigious Special Merit Award.

Dr. Alan Byrne said: “I am delighted to receive this award on behalf of myself, my family and everyone I have worked with in football throughout my career. League of Ireland football has always been a passion of mine and to work with all the international teams over the years has been an absolute honour. I look forward to continuing to serve Irish football in my role as Medical Director with the FAI and want to thank everyone involved for this Special Merit Award.”