If you could take a sportsman from another sport and turn him into a footballer, who would you take?
Didier Drogba. I don’t have much time for Chelsea but have huge respect for this man. Awesome power and pace, but also very intelligent and skilful. Throw him in at full-forward and he’d do serious damage.
Who was your toughest under-age opponent in Fermanagh?
As Damien has already mentioned, his club, Enniskillen Gaels, and mine, Derrygonnelly Harps, we always battling it out for the Division 1 and Championship titles at underage level….plenty of tough games, though we usually had the edge!
Who was your sporting idol growing up?
I always thought Henrik Larson was pure class. Beyond his obvious footballing talents, his commitment to Celtic, even when half of the big clubs of Europe were after him, was refreshing and really quite rare in modern football. His spells at Man Utd and Barcelona also demonstrated that he could easily play at a level well above the SPL had he chosen to earlier in his career.
Do you possess any sentimental GAA items?
I’ve got some old photos of my dad from his playing days, which are quite cool to have. Facial hair galore in most of the photos – Fermanagh GAA men obviously enjoyed a good moustache back in the 80’s.
Who is greatest ever sportsman in your opinion?
Seriously tough question. Difficult to pinpoint one individual, but I guess in recent years Usian Bolt has made a fair stab at claiming that title. He’s fairly nippy over 100m.
If you could play an All-Ireland final in any stadium outside of Ireland, where would you like to play it?
I think you’ve had this answer before, and you’ll most likely get it again, but it has got to be the Nou Camp.
What’s the best score you’ve ever gotten in your career?
In my pre-Eire Og days playing underage football back in Fermanagh, I was a corner back, so scores were few and far between. So the majority of my scores have actually been in an Eire Og jersey. I guess the most satisfying was my first Eire Og score – reassuring to know that after 12 years out of the game, I still had the ability to kick a point. Just need to start doing it a bit more frequently now!
Are there any sporting managers from other codes who you find inspirational?
This season I’ve found Brendan Rodgers and Roberto Martinez to be a breath of fresh air. Both have their clubs playing very exciting football and pushing for honours, but more than anything, they have managed to do this with class – very little in the way of criticising referees, bitching about other clubs or managers, etc. It’s refreshing compared to the manner in which Ferguson, Jose, and others have went about their business in the past few seasons.
What’s the best sports book that you’ve ever read?
Not the biggest fan of sports books…have only read a handful in my time, and didn’t particulary enjoy any of the them. Sorry.
What is your favourite type of food?
Indian – if I end up moving back to Ireland in the coming years, I’ll definitely miss London’s Indian restaurants. Turnip and spud just don’t have the same appeal as a good chicken jalfrezi.
What was the last live sporting event you attended?
Arsenal v Norwich at the Emirates back in October…..4-1 to the gunners, playing some fantastic stuff and Ozil getting a double…..feels like a long-time ago now though.
