Philly McMahon has revealed that the gear Ballymun Kickhams players were supplied with convinced him to return to Gaelic football.
McMahon was largely focused on soccer in his early teens, and he stood out enough to secure a trial with Nottingham Forest in England after impressing with Belvedere back home in Dublin.
The future eight-time All-Ireland champion was unsuccessful in his bid to secure a contract with Nottingham Forest, although he continued playing soccer at home.
His attention soon shifted to Gaelic football however, as McMahon revealed on Virgin Media’s Sport Stories that gifted Adidas gear convinced him to go back to Ballymun Kickhams.
Philly McMahon on his return to Ballymun Kickhams.
“From a very young age I played for Ballymun United, then I played for Belvedere and got scouted to go to Nottingham Forest,” McMahon started.
“When I came back there were opportunities to go on other trials, but again it was Paddy Christie’s magic. I was in school and I remember having to go to training, and I was playing with Belvedere, a brilliant club, a really good club at the time.
“But I remember Davy Byrne coming into school and I remember him walking down the corridor, he had this Adidas tracksuit on. Full kitted out Adidas tracksuit with a Ballymun Kickhams crest and an Adidas Ballymun Kickhams bag.
“I looked at myself and I had my gear with me in school because I had to get the bus to Fairview to go training. I was saying to myself, ‘I only got a top and a pair of shorts and I had to pay for them!’
“I said to Davy, ‘Did you have to pay for them?’ ‘No, Paddy got us them. Do you want to see the boots we got?’ And he takes the boots out. So I went back playing a bit of [Gaelic] football.”
“I remember Davy Byrne coming into school with this @BallymunGAA Adidas tracksuit and bag.
“I goes ‘did you pay for that?”
“He said nope, Paddy got us them. Dya wanna see the boots we got?
Sport Stories: @PhillyMcMahon
Tonight at 9pm on Virgin Media Two.#VMSportStories pic.twitter.com/jrMaLNwJd2
— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) December 27, 2022
A fantastic career in GAA.
While McMahon never made it as a professional in soccer, he couldn’t have asked from much more from his Gaelic football career.
During a stellar career with Dublin, in which he won eight All-Ireland titles, 12 Leinster titles, five National League titles and was named in the All-Stars team on two occasions.
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