Watch: Clip emerges of 'flying' Seamus Coleman from back in his GAA days
While it is the national sport, it still surprises people when they discover that someone played GAA in the past.
There are plenty of people that we wouldn’t associate at all with donning an O’Neills top and getting ready for the county championship, including several Irish celebrities and sports stars, like Paul Mescal, Rob Kearney and Tadhg Furlong.
And now you can add Republic of Ireland star Seamus Coleman to that list, as a couple of clips have emerged of him playing football back in the day for Killybegs.
Seamus Coleman. Pic: Ben McShane/Sportsfile
The Donegal man used to line out for Killybegs and was even part of a Donegal under-16 team that won the Bumcrana Cup in 2004. He was described as a ‘flying centre half-back’ by Donegal News, and from the clips posted by Jerome Quinn on X, it’s easy to see why.
He would decide to concentrate on his soccer career, firstly at Sligo Rovers before moving to Everton in a deal worth £60,000 in 2009, and he hasn’t done too badly since.
Seamus Coleman with members of his schoolboy club, St Catherine’s, Killybegs. Pic: Stephen Marken/Sportsfile
His return to the Republic of Ireland squad was arguably the turning point of the whole World Cup qualifying campaign, which saw Troy Parrott’s hat-trick in Budapest clinch the Boys in Green a play-off spot and a shot at qualifying for next summer’s tournament.
At 37 and out of favour at Everton, Coleman’s career is coming to its final act, but after his last two displays against Portugal and Hungary, it’s clear to see that he has a lot to offer. Current Republic of Ireland captain Nathan Collins credited Coleman, along with John Egan, for instilling the belief into the squad after both of their returns to the squad.
With Czechia now awaiting Ireland in March, there’s no doubt Coleman will give it his all to get a chance to play at his first World Cup.
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