When it comes to splitting time between GAA and the League of Ireland, a few high profile names have done so to great success down through the years. The likes of Kevin Moran and Jason Sherlock are the of the best known examples, with Lee Chin also doing it on occasion in Wexford.
Of course, there is no doubt that teams in the League of Ireland would love to get an opportunity to recruit some of the talented athletes that devote themselves to Gaelic games. However, it can be a difficult thing to pull off.
If there's one man that would give it a go, it's Roddy Collins.
The Dubliner has often used some outside of the box thinking when it comes to football management, once resulting in him almost bringing a high profile Dublin GAA player to the league.
Roddy Collins on GAA star Paddy Andrews' LOI move
Paddy Andrews was a key player for Dublin during their hugely successful run under Jim Gavin, but he initially struggled to establish himself in the team for a couple of years after making his debut in 2008. In fact, he would be dropped from the panel on occasion, leading to some League of Ireland interest.
Roddy Collins was manager of Monaghan United in 2011 when Andrews was going through some struggles with Dublin, and with the pair knowing each other well having lived in the same area, he proposed that the player split his time between GAA and soccer.
Speaking on the Breaking Ball with Philly McMahon, Collins recalled how having had a discussion with him when he was a bit worse for wear, Andrew immediately came to regret the decision.
Did Roddy Collins really try to sign Paddy Andrews for Monaghan United?@PhillyMcMahon gets him to talk about what happened with @PaddyAMetis on #BreakingBall episode 2.
Full show: https://t.co/1cRUNBO60C pic.twitter.com/ee8ZhLzWk4
— Independent Sport (@IndoSport) July 1, 2023
I signed him, I registered him! You can go to the FAI and check this.
I'll tell you why. Paddy lives two minutes from me, he's a great young fella, knocked around with my daughter Niamh.
We had no players and no money, players kept dropping out of the squad. Niamh said to me 'Da, he's a great footballer, I've seen him playing with the lads on the pitch around the corner'.
I was driving home one Sunday and Paddy was coming in, let's say 'the worse for wear'. I told him to get into the car, said 'were you out last night, come round the house, Niamh said you're a great footballer, I could make you the next Shane Long'.
He started listening to me. I went to the fridge, little can of Guinness for me, little can of Guinness for Paddy. Sit down there son.
By the time he had finished his can, I had him playing for Ireland! I just said 'there's one thing you need to do Paddy, sign that will you?'
I'll never forget at four o’clock on the Monday, I heard a knock at the door and there's Paddy sheet white. He said 'Rod, come here, remember that thing I signed? Please cancel it, I'm getting f****d out of Brigid's!'
Andrews will feel he made the right decision in the end. Monaghan United resigned their place in the League of Ireland the following year, while he would go on to win seven All-Ireland titles with Dublin GAA.
Still, it would have been interesting to see how he fared in the other code had he decided to give it a go.
SEE ALSO: Footage Emerges Of Brawl Between Armagh And Monaghan Fans On Hill 16
