Recently, Diego Jota scored the 10,000th goal in Liverpool's history. John Aldridge tweeted the list of players who have scored landmark goals for the club, which included the former Ireland striker - who scored the Reds' 7,000th goal in a victory against Spurs.
Scorers of milestone #LFC goals:
— John Aldridge (@Realaldo474) October 28, 2020
1 - Jock Smith
1,000 - Bobby Robinson
2,000 - Harry Chambers
3,000 - Jack Balmer
4,000 - Jimmy Melia
5,000 - Ian St John
6,000 - Terry McDermott
7,000 - John Aldridge
8,000 - Michael Owen
9,000 - Sotirios Kyrgiakos
10,000 - Diogo Jota.
This inspired us to look up the landmark goals scored by Ireland players.
The first goal scored by an Irish player was Bob Fullam's consolation strike in a 2-1 loss to Italy in April 1927 - the second international played by the team.
It would take 27 years before the 100th goal was scored by the Republic of Ireland national side, when Reg Ryan scored the third goal in a 4-0 win over Luxembourg in October 1953 from the penalty spot in a qualifier for the 1954 World Cup in Switzerland.
18 years later, in the final group game of the Brazil Independence Cup, held in 1972 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Brazilian Declaration of Independence, Shamrock Rovers' Mick Leech scored the 200th Irish goal in international football - the last goal of a 2-1 loss to Portugal in Ireland's final group game in the tournament. All three goals were scored in quick succession, with Portugal opening the scoring in the 35th minute, before doubling their advantage in the 37th minute, with Leech scoring in the 38th minute.
It would take almost 13 years for the 300th goal to be scored for the Republic in international football, when, on his 45th cap, Frank Stapleton opened the scoring in a 3-0 win against Switzerland in June 1985 in a qualifier for the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. This was only the second goal scored by the Republic in the qualifying series, in the team's fifth group game, after being held scoreless since the group opener against the Soviet Union in September 1984.
Eight years later, John Aldridge scored Republic's 400th goal, the opener in a 2-0 win against Latvia in June 1993 in a qualifier for the 1994 World Cup in the United States. This was Aldridge's fourth goal against Latvia in two games against the Balkan state, half the total he would finish on against the Latvians - which is still a record for an Irish player against a single side.
Seven years after Aldridge's strike, Kevin Kilbane scored the 500th international goal for the Boys In Green, when he scored the first of his eight international goals in a 3-0 friendly win against Finland in November 2000.
Another seven years would pass before the 600th goal was scored. Record international goalscorer Robbie Keane scored the first of the Republic's goals in a 4-0 friendly victory against Denmark in August 2007.
Just over six years later, the shortest time between landmark goals, Shane Long scored the national side's 700th international goal, and his tenth international goal, and when he found the back of the net for the final goal in Martin O'Neill's first game in charge - a 3-0 friendly win against Latvia in November 2013.
Since that game, seven years and 68 games ago, 79 goals have been scored - a rate of 1.16 goals per game. If that rate continues, it will take 18 games before the 800th goal will be scored. Given the team plays an average of ten games a year, it could be September of 2022 before that happens, which would be the longest time between landmark goals since the 13 years between the 200th and 300th goals.
But it'll probably be against Latvia in June.
