Ray Treacy: Energetic striker who won 42 Ireland caps and later led Shamrock Rovers to the Irish title

Off the pitch, Treacy was an asset to team morale wherever he went, frequently in demand for his storytelling, singing and nifty work on the guitar

Treacy: while he excelled for Charlton, at West Brom he found himself in the shadow of Jeff Astle (PA Archive/Press Association Images)

Ray Treacy was an energetic, combative and much-travelled striker who collected 42 Republic of Ireland caps and played for five English clubs, arguably reaching his peak with Charlton Athletic in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Having crossed the Irish Sea from his home city of Dublin to join West Bromwich Albion as a 15-year-old in 1961, Treacy struggled to make a lasting top-flight breakthrough at the Hawthorns, languishing in the substantial shadows cast by Jeff Astle and John Kaye until he was transferred to second-tier Charlton in February 1968.

By then he had already made his full international entrance in an extremely poor Irish side, and he found himself toiling at club level, too, despite contributing more than half a century of goals for the Addicks in 164 games spread over four years. He experienced relegations with two clubs, Charlton and Preston. A brief second stint with West Brom preceded a prolific spell with Shamrock Rovers, for whom he scored as they lifted the FAI Cup in 1978.

His international highlight was scoring the winner, one of his five goals for his country, in a World Cup qualifier against France in 1972.

Later came success as a manager, leading Shamrock Rovers to the League of Ireland title in 1993-94. Off the pitch, the genial Treacy was an asset to team morale wherever he went, frequently in demand for his storytelling, singing and nifty work on the guitar.

Raymond Christopher Patrick Treacy, footballer: born Dublin 18 June 1946; played for West Bromwich 1964-68, 1976-77, Charlton 1968-72, Swindon 1972-73, Preston 1973-76, Shamrock Rovers 1977-80, Toronto Metros 1978, Drogheda United 1980-82; 42 caps for the Republic of Ireland 1966-79; died 10 April 2015.