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Tipperary goalkeeper, Evan Comerford, who is serving a 12-week ban from Gaelic football, is said to be considering a switch of codes to soccer.
A number of top League of Ireland clubs are said to be interested in signing Comerford, according to The42.ie.
There is reported to have been enquiries made about the availability of the 22-year-old by at least three top clubs in the SSE Airtricity League. Comerford undoubtedly has the ability to make the transition from Gaelic football to soccer should he decide to. In soccer he has represented the Republic of Ireland at amateur level before and starred for his local team Clonmel Town underage.
The Kilsheelan-Kilcash clubman is said to be seriously considering his options, with a move to a League of Ireland (LOI) club for the remainder of the summer believed to be highly likely.
We have previously seen a case of a GAA star switching from our national games to soccer in the shape of Lee Chin. The Wexford hurler appeared for LOI side Wexford Youth’s in 2016, scoring a volley in his time there before controversially choosing to attend the GAA All-Star awards instead of lining out for the team’s final game of the season.
Comerford was hit with a 12-week ban from all Gaelic football, club and inter-county, following an incident involving a referee last month. The ‘keeper was reported by referee, Paddy Russell, to have made a “minor physical altercation” with the official after his side’s loss to JK Brackens.
Similarly to the case of Diarmuid Connolly, the punishment for such an offence has been deemed three months, which would not see Comerford back in action on the GAA field until mid-August.
The 2016 All-Star nominee has decided, along with his club and Tipperary, against appealing the ban based on legal advice.
Tipp manager, Liam Kearns, will name his team to face Cork on Saturday in Pairc Uí Rinn later this week, with Ciaran Kenrick expected to fill the void left by Comerford’s absence in the side.
