KEVIN’S HEADING FOR HOME
SOCCER STAR KEVIN DOYLE HANGS UP HIS BOOTS
WEXFORD’S Irish international soccer star Kevin Doyle is on the way home after his shock decision to quit the game on medical advice.
Kevin, who had been included in Martin O’Neill’s 32-man squad for the upcoming World Cup Qualifiers, decided to hang up his boots on the recommendation of two neurosurgeons, after suffering two concussions this season and experiencing repeated headaches attributed to heading the ball.
His proud family are now preparing to welcome Kevin, wife
Jenny, and their children, back to Wexford.
Kevin’s brother Padraig said it ‘will be a real novelty’ to have the sports star home again. ‘We haven’t really had him around since he moved to Dublin to play for St Pat’s at the age of 17. Both him and Jenny are homebirds though and they have their house in Killurin and it’s always been their plan to get back there.’
FOLLOWING his sudden retirement from football last week, there’s only one place Kevin Doyle, his wife Jenny and their kids want to be – and that’s back in good old Wexford.
Doyle’s decision to hang up his boots on medical advice came as somewhat of a shock for fans, particularly as he was included in Martin O’Neill’s 32-man squad for the upcoming World Cup Qualifiers, however, according to Kevin’s brother Pádraig, it came as a shock for everyone, Kevin included.
‘It was on the advice of two neurosurgeons,’ he said. ‘We only knew it was coming a week or so before the announcement. He’d been having problems with concussions and headaches for a while now and at this stage, although he aimed to play one more season in Colorado, he decided not to take any risks with his health.’
‘I think he’s probably a little disappointed that he didn’t get to go out on his own terms,’ Pádraig continued. ‘I think he might have had one eye on the World Cup next year. If Ireland qualified, I think he was going to do everything he could to get in the squad and bow out there, but that’s the way these things happen.
‘Looking back, he’s had some career and he’s given the family some great, proud years. I think it’s only when everything calms down that he’ll really take stock on all he’s achieved. Reading all the stuff written about him this week has brought back a lot of great memories for us. We’re very proud of him. You’d hope that more Wexford lads can break into the top level and play for Ireland, but it’s just so rare.’ A typical Irish mammy, Bernie in particular is looking forward to having her boy home.
‘She’s like any Irish mammy,’ said Pádraig. ‘She’s always worried about him! Particularly since they moved off to America because he’s not just a couple of hours away any more. We’re all delighted that him and Jenny and the kids are coming back. The kids will go to school in Wexford and they’ll be staying for good.
‘Kevin says that this is definitely his last move! It’ll be a real novelty for us because I suppose we haven’t really had him around since he moved to Dublin to play for St Pat’s at the age of 17. Both him and Jenny are home-birds though and they have their house in Killurin and it’s always been their plan to get back there.’ While he has officially hung up his boots, Kevin has decided to stick it out with his teammates at Colorado Rapids for the time being and will make the move back to Wexford next month, when he looks forward to reuniting with family and old friends and enjoying everything that home has to offer.