Shane Long
Shane Long could have been one of Ireland's top Gaelic hurlers, contemplating several All-Ireland titles for Tipperary. Instead he is pitting his wits against some of the finest footballers in the world at Euro 2012.
- Agence France-Presse
- Updated: June 06, 2012 10:48 PM IST
Full name: Shane Patrick Long
Date of birth: 22 January 1987 (age 25)
Place of birth: Gortnahoe, North Tipperary, Ireland
Playing position: Striker
Current club: West Bromwich Albion (England)
Shane Long could have been one of Ireland's top Gaelic hurlers, contemplating several All-Ireland titles for Tipperary. Instead he is pitting his wits against some of the finest footballers in the world at Euro 2012.
The 25-year-old -- who follows the likes of successful Gaelic footballers Kevin Moran and Niall Quinn in pursuing a career in football -- enjoyed a stellar career as a youngster playing in two under-18 hurling All-Ireland Minor finals.
It was only thanks to his love of sports that Long was to develop his skills as a footballer as hurling was the official sport at his school.
"In my local place in Gortnahoe, there were no soccer teams when I was growing up," he told the Irish edition of The Sun newspaper.
"It was all hurling. Gaelic football just about came in when I was eight or nine.
It was just all hurling. I was in the first underage team in Gortnahoe. That's when the first Gaelic football team came in and now there are soccer teams in my school.
"It is nice to see that they are taking an interest in soccer as well. It was always there but it was on the basketball court with your mates."
His involvement in those informal games paid off when he was lured to Cork City football club by then coach Pat Dolan in 2004. Dolan later lost his job but he did not forget Long.
Dolan recommended the youngster to his brother Eamonn, who was a coach at English league side Reading. The 18-year-old striker then moved across the Irish Sea with Cork team-mate Kevin Doyle -- also now in the Ireland squad -- in June 2005.
While Long admits that hurling has a special place in his heart he does not regret taking a chance on succeeding in football.
"Obviously being a kid, everyone dreams of playing in the Premier League and playing for Manchester United one day.
"So when the chance came along to go to Cork and give football a good shot and try to make a life for myself, I grabbed it with both hands. I suppose I always thought I could come back to hurling."
Long, though, has flourished in his "second sport", scoring 46 times in 174 games for Reading in a six-year spell, including two seasons in the Premier League.
He stayed loyal to Reading after they were relegated in 2008 and scored some memorable goals along the way, including the winner in an FA Cup defeat to Liverpool in 2009-10.
But last summer he left the Madejski Stadium for top-flight West Brom, managed at the time by current England manager Roy Hodgson, for a fee reported to be at least 4.5 million pounds.
Despite an injury which kept him out for several weeks, Long impressed with his new club, scoring eight goals in 32 appearances, keeping himself in the frame to partner Robbie Keane up front should Ireland opt to play two strikers.
The Irish are in a tough group with champions Spain, Italy and Croatia but Long, who did his chances no harm in scoring the only goal in their defeat of Bosnia-Herzegovina in a warm-up match last month, is thrilled at the prospect.
He accepts that he is not a certainty to start but added: "It's all about going out there, keeping clean sheets and scoring goals and getting into the right frame of mind. We want a bit of confidence going into the games.
"The lads know the boss (Giovanni Trappatoni) wouldn't be afraid to change it up, so you have to give it your all and try and cement your place in that team for the game against Croatia (on June 10 in Poznan)."