After football? O’Neill could get his kicks on Route 66...
HE turned 66 this year and Route 66 could be calling for Martin O’Neill – as a road trip of North America is on the youthful gaffer’s bucket list.
The Ireland manager revealed some personal aspects of his life as he looked back over his career in a rare interview given to Newstalk’s Off The Ball last night.
He said: ‘I want to travel North America in one of those camper vans. But then I’m used to my comforts. South America appeals to me, my daughter came back from Buenos Aires. I was lucky to go to Rio for the World Cup.
‘Other places in Brazil I’d like to see. I want to go Chile, Santiago. Lots of things still to do. East. I went to Japan for the final of the World Cup in 2002. Always wanted to go back again.’
He revealed this and more in the frank interview.
In it the Derry native also spoke about his passion for GAA which began as a six-year-old sharing a seat in Croke Park and how he hasn’t exercised in 30 years.
His All-Ireland recollections date back to Derry v Dublin in 1958 when, he recalls, he and his mother only had one seat in the stand. So, he had to sit on his mother’s knee.
On the passing of time, he said: ‘It does fly in, I must admit.
‘I do remember distinctly, when I came to Nottingham Forest at 19, walking by the Trent with youth team manager Bert Johnson and he said, “This will pass you in a flash” and he was talking about my career, and he was right.’
Asked if anything surprises him about reaching the age of 66, he said: ‘I hear the Bob Dylan song, “I was so much older and I’m younger than it now”. And I feel that now.
‘Health (is very) important, having experienced that with my wife. I’m still in reasonable shape.’ But potentially to the chagrin of the players he puts through his paces, he admitted: ‘I wouldn’t have exercised in 30 years.’
He puts this down to a cruciate ligament injury which ended his playing career.
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