Davy Byrne probably wishes he had chosen the soccer anyway.
Jack McCarron has been ripping it up for Monaghan all season but, on Sunday against Dublin, he showed that he is the real deal.
The Farney forward went into Total Recall levels of destruction against the best side in the country at Clones and he finished the day with 1-9, 1-5 of which were kicked from play.
His talent has been no secret within the county but finally, free of injury, he’s announced himself with devastating effect to the rest of the island and now everyone is listening.
What a goal and what a bloody performance https://t.co/a1a3p3x7Cl
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) April 2, 2017
But there was a time when Jack McCarron had a decision to make: to carry on the trajectory that could take him to the top with the ball in his hand; or to keep that ball on the ground and see if he could cut it in the soccer world.
He was once a highly-rated footballer playing with Monaghan United and the Dundalk regional squads and his talent took him to the capital at one stage where he came face to face with two men who are now the heartbeat of the Republic of Ireland national team.
“I played a lot of underage soccer,” McCarron explained on The GAA Hour.
“I went up to Dublin for the emerging talent thing and I played against St. Kevin’s Boys with Monaghan United. On that St. Kevin’s team at the emerging talent, Robbie Brady and Jeff Hendrick were up training as well so I played against those two.”
There came a time though – as it comes for every athlete – that McCarron had to make a decision and, with his father and former All-Star Ray McCarron taking charge of the club team at Currin, the youngster chose to stick to his roots.
“He [Jack’s dad] took over the club team when I was 16 just coming onto the team and I just decided that it was either going to be one or the other.
“I was involved with the county minors at that stage too so I had to put all the eggs in one basket.”
It wasn’t like picking a winner out of a hat, it was so much more than that for McCarron. He has been steeped in this way of life, it’s ingrained in his family’s history and Monaghan GAA runs to the core of all that he has done growing up.
His sister Ellen was playing for the county ladies team before the Dublin clash at Clones on Sunday.
His uncle is only Dick Clerkin.
https://twitter.com/jackmc13/status/793918704455184385
And it’s safe to say that his dad knew how to play ball.
By every definition, this way of life is in his blood.
Now, McCarron is forming one half of what could just be the most frightening duo in the land alongside Conor McManus.
He’s been outscoring one of the best forwards in the country throughout the league, not that he’s getting carried away.
“He’s been a great help to me,” McCarron said of his Clontibret ally.
“He’s proved over the last three or four years to be one of the best forwards – and players – in the country. It’s good to have him in there with the experience he has to give you a few wee tips and that.
“Conor’s still the main man in there, he’s proven that. He’s been phenomenal. I’ve played a couple of good games, that doesn’t mean anything – just a couple of good games.”
If that’s just a couple of good games, Lord only knows what the championship might have in store.
Listen to McCarron’s full interview on The GAA Hour below (from 23:30).
