Cavan's Martin Reilly thriving with soccer background
"You might think 'what if' the odd time but I'm very happy with the way things have turned out for me."
Wednesday 5 June 2019 14:22, UK
Cavan star Martin Reilly has been at the heart of the Breffni County's surge so far in the championship.
The 32-year-old, named PwC Footballer of the Month for May, was key in the Ulster quarter-final win over Monaghan.
However, it could have been a starkly different sporting career for Reilly.
An underage soccer international with Ireland and youth player with Burnley, the Cavan native wasn't far off making the grade in professional sport.
"It was a good experience to get a taste of what being a full-time professional athlete was like," he reflected upon his two years in England. "You realise how tough it is and the work that has to go in to be successful.
"I came home when I was about 19. I found it tough to be honest. You're going over there very young and you're leaving your family and friends.
"Some people take to it better than others."
He then returned home, and while he did play some League of Ireland, work commitments among other things led him to Gaelic football.
"I actually played with Longford [Town] for a couple of weeks but I decided I was going to do an apprenticeship and I didn't really want to go back to school," he explained. "I suppose my friends and club wanted me to play with them. I just had to make a decision. I couldn't do everything and that was my decision in the end. "
However, while it didn't work out, he has no regrets:
"I'm very happy with where I am and with the way things are now. You might think 'what if' the odd time but I'm very happy with the way things have turned out for me.
"I think it (the soccer background) definitely would have helped me over the years and stood to me, that experience. When I was a young lad I would have been just playing football, football, football - that was it.
"I realised the commitment that was needed to be successful, that stuck with me over the years. I tried to give that commitment and look after myself."
Following last Sunday's draw with Armagh, a dream of reaching the county's first Ulster final since 2001 is very much alive, and this spike in form has coincided with the arrival of Mickey Graham as manager.
"Mickey is doing good work," explained Reilly.
"He's very positive and he speaks very well. He's one of these managers that when he speaks, you listen. He just doesn't talk for the sake of talking. He gets his point across well and you enjoy listening to him."
If they were to overcome the Orchard County in Sunday's replay, it would be a victory to be savoured.
"You just had to see after our win against Monaghan in the quarter-final, the supporters were on the pitch after the game for a good half-hour," smiled the Cavan veteran. "You could imagine if we got to an Ulster final, the county would be mad."
Sky Sports' live GAA coverage continues on Saturday, June 8 as Cork host Waterford in the Munster Hurling Championship.
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