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<\/p>\nThe Newry man, who had been living in England, has sadly passed away shortly after his 91st birthday.<\/p>\n
McParland will forever be remembered as the man who fired Northern Ireland into the Quarter-Finals of the 1958 World Cup in Sweden.<\/p>\n
The Aston Villa forward scored five goals in Northern Ireland\u2019s opening four games to set up a last-eight encounter with France, however their opponents ran out 4-0 winners against a team which was decimated by injuries.<\/p>\n
He earned 34 Northern Ireland caps, scoring 10 international goals.<\/p>\n
In 1957, he scored both of Villa\u2019s goals in the 2-1 FA Cup Final victory over Manchester United.<\/p>\n
The Final is probably best remembered for his controversial shoulder charge on Ray Wood which left the United keeper with a broken cheekbone.<\/p>\n
Former Irish FA President Jim Shaw said he was deeply saddened to learn of McParland\u2019s passing.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeter was the last of the \u201858 men and I am very sorry to hear that,\u201d said Shaw. \u201cI ended up being a good friend. He and Harry Gregg were good mates, even though Harry used to tell me he was a so-and-so.<\/p>\n
\u201cI said to John Gregg, \u2018Your dad doesn\u2019t like Peter McParland\u2019, but every Thursday in life back then, one phoned the other and they were on for hours, they were great mates \u2013 it was Harry\u2019s style.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey got to the Quarter-Finals and it was some team. I can remember the \u201857 FA Cup Final, the year before the World Cup.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe has had a great life and career. He told me 10 years ago that Villa sends him a car to Bournemouth to take him to games. He was a real hero there and a very honest guy.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was another great Newry man, before Pat Jennings. Overall, that \u201858 team was probably the strongest team Northern Ireland ever had.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Northern Ireland’s Peter McParland in action against the Czechoslovakia in the 1958 World Cup<\/p>\n
He won the first of his 34 caps while still a teenager, scoring twice on his debut against Wales in 1954.<\/p>\n
One of McParland\u2019s most cherished memories is almost upstaging a teenage Pele at the 1958 World Cup Finals.<\/p>\n
He said it was a \u201chuge honour\u201d to share a pitch with the legendary Pele, who he believes went on to become \u201cthe greatest player of all time\u201d.<\/p>\n
Pele was named Fifa\u2019s Player of the Century in 2000 and he is the only player to win the World Cup three times, lifting the trophy in 1958, 1962 and 1970.<\/p>\n
Among the leading scorers at that tournament in Sweden was McParland, who finished behind silver boot winners Pele and Helmut Rahn with five goals.<\/p>\n
The 1958 Finals are synonymous with Just Fontaine\u2019s record 13-goal haul and a 17-year-old Pele announcing himself to the world as Brazil claimed their first-ever World title.<\/p>\n
Pele was then the youngest player to appear at a men\u2019s World Cup, although his record was subsequently broken by Northern Ireland striker Norman Whiteside.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe got six goals at the tournament and I got five \u2013 and I can always say that I was only a goal behind Pele at his first tournament,\u201d recalled McParland, who went on to play against Pele in America.<\/p>\n
Northern Ireland were given little chance of success in Sweden but, managed by Peter Doherty and captained by Danny Blanchflower, they had a wonderful team spirit to go with the class and character of players like the skipper, goalkeeper Gregg, Bertie Peacock, Wilbur Cush, Jimmy McIlroy and McParland himself.<\/p>\n
It was a special time in McParland\u2019s life and the Newry man remembered it with great affection.<\/p>\n
McParland began his career in the League of Ireland with Dundalk before being snapped up by Villa in 1952 for a fee in the region of \u00a33,500.<\/p>\n
He was a hero at Villa, who posted a warm tribute. In 1960, his 22 League goals helped Villa to the Second Division title, and the following year, he also scored the extra-time winner which secured them a 3-2 aggregate success in the Final over Rotherham United in what was the inaugural League Cup.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
Aston Villa legend Peter McParland shows off the FA Cup to supporters ahead of a game in 2014<\/p>\n
The Premier League club commented: \u201cAston Villa Football Club is profoundly saddened to learn that Peter McParland, the last surviving member of the club\u2019s 1957 FA Cup-winning team, has passed away.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeter, who recently celebrated his 91st birthday, will always be remembered as the player who scored both goals when Villa beat Manchester United 2-1 in the 1957 FA Cup Final.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd four years later, he hit the winner as Villa lifted the new League Cup, making him the first footballer to score in the Finals of both major domestic knock-out cup competitions.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe thoughts of everyone at the club are with Peter\u2019s family and loved ones at this extremely difficult time.\u201d<\/p>\n
After 340 games and 120 goals for the Birmingham-based side, he moved across the West Midlands to join Wolves in January 1962 for \u00a335,000.<\/p>\n
As well as playing for Plymouth Argyle and Worcester City, he had successful stints in both Canada and America where he won the NPSL Championship with Atlanta Chiefs in 1967.<\/p>\n
Later in his career, McParland returned to Northern Ireland to take over as player\/manager at Glentoran and enjoyed League Championship success in 1970 in three seasons at The Oval.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
Peter McParland in attendance with Pat Jennings during the Northern Ireland Euro 2016 squad reveal<\/p>\n