The man Irish fans call “Zinedine Kilbane” has become the talk of the tournament with his karaoke performance of Vanilla Ice‘s timeless classic, “Ice Ice Baby.”
Although not a part of Giovanni Trapattoni‘s Ireland squad, Kilbane — Ireland’s third highest-capped player with 110 — still traveled to Poland and Ukraine as a reporter for The Daily Mail.
In Gdansk, Poland, ahead of Ireland’s daunting game against Spain, Kilbane performed a rousing rendition of the 90’s hit to a group of Irish supporters hanging out in a small bar. Though singing in an accent that sounded almost Australian at times, Kilbane deserves credit for delivering the lyrics without backing music. A smart move when you consider Vanilla Ice’s articulate defense of the song’s sample.
Coming off of a 2-1 loss to Croatia in their opening match of the tournament, the Irish are facing a serious uphill battle. In all likelihood, “The Boys in Green” will have to earn at least four points from their two remaining group-stage games — against Spain and Italy respectively — if they want to qualify for the knockout stages.
Check out Kilbane’s rapping skills in the video below.
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Thumbnail photo via Flickr/ Julian Holtom Photography
