Seán Prunty reflects on success with his home town team, coming to terms with his early retirment and the joys now of coaching under-age teams at St. Mochta's

Highs and lows are commonplace in any sporting career, but those experienced by Seán Prunty are rightly considered to be in the extreme bracket. What with six domestic cup final appearances, being released by Middlesbrough and Wigan Athletic, and premature playing retirement due to a heart issue, nondescript mid-table finishes just weren’t a feature.

Underage football with Belvedere Boys preceded going to England as a youth, whereby time spent at Middlesbrough and Wigan ultimately ended in a return home in 2000.

“When I came back from the UK, like most young lads at that time, there wasn’t a huge amount of support in place,” said Prunty when he spoke with extratime.com recently about his football career.

“It was only years after where things began to improve. The disappointment of being released from Middlesbrough and then Wigan Athletic, I had no appetite to play football. I’d gone over, hopeful to make it as a footballer. Between  injuries and home-sickness, it didn’t work out.

"When I came back, it took time to get back into playing. I pretty much gave it up for the guts of a year. Then Stephen Kenny asked me if I’d do a bit of training with Longford Town and that’s how I got back playing in the League of Ireland.”

In seven years at Flancare Park, Seán reached six cup finals, winning three (two FAI Cups and a League Cup), a remarkable achievement for a modest regional club.

“At the time we didn’t appreciate it. We were just taking each game as it came. After all these years, if you go down to Longford, myself and Alan Kirby would chat to fans about that golden time for the club. When you look back, to be able to say that I played in all those finals is great.”

During one of those cup finals, the 2-1 League Cup victory over Bohemians in 2004, Prunty netted the second goal, which proved the difference. Although born in Dublin, Prunty grew up in Longford and because the occasion was held at Flancare Park, it was all the sweeter for it.

“I moved to Longford when I was ten, so was definitely considered a local there. Before that final, my grandmother, who I was very close to, lived in Longford and had just passed away, so to score that goal was massive. It was a tough match. We opened the scoring early, then went 2-0 up and Bobby Ryan pulled one back for Bohemians.

"It was great to score the winning goal. I remember Bohs had the ball and me nipping in on a short pass from one of their defenders and putting it away. Afterwards, a local photographer had managed to capture every part leading up to the goal and put it in a frame for me, which was brilliant.”

Entering his peak years, Seán joined reigning Premier Division champions Drogheda United in early 2008, signing a first domestic full-time contract, with UEFA Champions League qualifying games ahead. However, a pre-season player health check (mandatory for the aforementioned club competition) detected a heart complaint, which terminated his playing career.

“It was one of those: ‘Why did it have to happen to me?’ I would consider myself very disciplined and always looked after myself. Even now, I still train.

"I’d given good service to Longford and felt an opportunity to play full-time, particularly with Drogheda, was a fantastic one. They had a great squad, had just won the league and also an astute manager in Paul Doolin. You’re saying to yourself: ‘Jesus, this is great, to go and play full-time with these guys, who were going to improve me as a footballer by playing and training with them ... It was massive for me and then very much short lived.

"I knew there were guys in the league at that time who were getting very well paid and didn’t have my dedication and drive. I definitely felt hard done by and took a while to get over that.

"For a long period of time I actually had no interest in even going to a League of Ireland game ... It was something I couldn’t do. I felt this was something I’d given my life to and all of a sudden it just kicked me in the nuts. It was probably the guts of a year and a half, maybe even two years before I fully came to terms with it.

"At the same time, once I got my head around it, focused on the future and saw where I was going, I was able to say: ‘This football career is over, so move on.’ Education also played a huge part in getting me to where I am today.”

Stepping away from football to concentrate on other avenues, a necessary transition for Prunty, once accomplished, has eventually led to a return to the game on his own terms.

“Now I coach up at St Mochta’s with the U-9s because my little lads are up there. The academy’is being run by Colin Hawkins, who is a League of Ireland legend and they run a really good club. I have my appetite back for coaching, particularly with the young age group.

"These are young guys, who are coming in, who maybe haven’t played a team sport, are very shy and have no confidence. Over the course of the last two years, to see how these young lads have become more confident and made friends – it’s kind of giving back to the game.

"I know it done me bad, by having to retire early, but I think having the experience within the league, I’m able to help this club and that’s really, really important. It’s something that I thoroughly enjoy and has given me a desire to go on and pursue more coaching badges, as well.

"As for coaching in the League of Ireland ... Not a chance. For me, it’s about nurturing young kids coming through and giving them the basic skills to enjoy the sport.”

Colchester United part ways with Alan Judge and Kieran O’Hara https://t.co/w6T014Q8uwpic.twitter.com/FkSqIvcqZ1

— Extratime.com (@ExtratimeNews) May 16, 2023