Fireworks shot into the Dublin sky as the singer Robbie Williams greeted 80,000 adoring fans to kick off his European tour.

"How are you doin`?" he asked, but did not have to, as the crowd screamed back at him begging the star to start the evening`s entertainment.

He duly obliged. The first of a night of hits and a number one to boot, Radio, brought the thousands to their feet. And there they stayed.

Rock DJ followed to which everyone joined in without him asking.

Letting his fans do the work, the pop icon who began life as a star in Take That, swaggered down a flight of stairs towards his fans encouraging them to sing along.

As he walked to the edge of the stage two England flags draped from the barriers greeted him along with a message "Robbie`s Angels".

The St George`s Cross, a rare sight in Dublin`s Croke Park, the home of Gaelic games.

The first night of this 40-leg tour gave fans across Europe a taste of what is to come.

The crowd of 80,000 screamed as the star sang, danced, strutted and teased his way through the night.

Pausing for breath Robbie spoke to his fans: "Good evening folks, I am back again. Three ******* years, it`s been a long time. I don`t know how Mick Jagger does it.

"I`m 32 and I`m ******* knackered. He`s about 105," the star joked, before letting out a few bars of the Rolling Stones` hit I Can`t Get No Satisfaction.

Robbie, an ardent football fan relaxed before the gig in his back-stage dressing room by watching Germany beat Costa Rica in the opening game of the World Cup.

But he admitted the nerves were getting to him on his opening night: "I was ******** myself before I came on stage, there`s so many of you," he said.

"You`d think I`d be used to it by now."

The entire stadium was on their feet for the duration of the show, bar a couple of rows at the front of the upper tiers. The dizzying heights of Croke Park kept them firmly planted in their seats.

A string of other hits including Trippin`, Monsoon and his latest chart-topper Sin Sin Sin filled the air as the sun went down over the Republic of Ireland`s capital.

An unusual duet with his lifelong friend Jonathan Wilkes, Me And My Shadow, kept his fans on their toes before the old favourite from his boy-band days, Back For Good was followed by hit single No Regrets.

Robbie`s set finished with an encore of three of his greatest hits Let Me Entertain You, Kids and Angels.

Source: Ulster TV