Republic of Ireland soccer ace Nathan Collins proudly remembers his childhood days of playing gaelic football in Leixlip.

The Brentford and Ireland captain was always destined for a career in professional soccer, but was also a useful GAA player as a kid. The 24-year-old ex Confey College student, who has been based in England since he was 15, told The Football Interview on BBC:

“I grew up with a football, basically. Everything I have done throughout my whole life was with a football, or any kind of ball really. I played a lot of gaelic football as a kid. I would have trained football twice with my team during the week, then I would have trained twice with my gaelic team, then I had a football match on the weekend and then a gaelic match on the weekend.

“And so my parents would drive me to my match, watch that match, finish that match, go home, eat something really quick, straight back out the door for another match and then they’d go to the pub and relax. They were finished with me then, they were happy!

“I was alright... I was not bad. When I was that age, I was bigger than everyone. I’d have been able to run over everyone, so I had that advantage. I’d love to go back and play one day or when I finish football. I really enjoy it.”

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