Kenny Cunningham decided Gaelic football wasn't for him after a 'sobering' experience he had while playing for the Na Fianna seniors as a teenager.

Cunningham lined out for the Dublin minors alongside Dessie Farrell and current senior manager Jim Gavin, but the sheer physicality of the game appears to have been a factor in his decision to embark on a professional soccer career in which he earned 72 caps for the Republic of Ireland.

Speaking on Newstalk's 'Off The Ball' this week, the former centre half recalled: "Occasionally, I'd jump over the fence (into Na Fianna's grounds on Mobhi Road) or if I could squeeze a game in. I remember playing senior football with Dessie, we were only 17 and that was a sobering moment in terms of the physicality. I would have started off as centre half back in the central area, but ended up in corner forward for obvious reasons - just the physical nature.

"I remember being in the dressing room before the game and the coach suggested going toe-to-toe with the man alongside you and face each other and just start body punching each other for about 20 or 30 seconds. The alarm bells started ringing and I thought, 'I don't know about this long-term'."

Tweet

Most Read Stories