2026-04-11, 11:05 AM - Word count:
What a wild couple of weeks it has been! It all started with that phone call…a scout from the SSL called and asked to talk to Da. Well, I did not know he was a scout when I answered the telephone. He just asked to talk to Da so I asked him to hold on as I took the cordless phone to Da sitting in the front room. It was a very one-sided conversation as Da just seemed to be answering questions. He ended the call by saying that he hoped to hear back from the caller soon.
When Da ended the call he looked at me and told me to go get Ma. I thought something must be really bad for him to want to talk to Ma after that call. I got Ma, watched her walk into the front room and headed out to the back garden. That is when I heard my name. Da was calling me back into the house. Yea, I started to run the last few days through my mind, trying to think of what I could have done wrong? Nothing came to mind…what was going on?
I walked into the front room with a mix of emotions, scared on the one hand, but nervous and excited on the other. What did I have to be excited about? Little did I know! Well, anyway, Da told us that phone call was from a SSL scout and they had seen the videos of me playing and were impressed with what they had seen. He asked if I was interested in playing, but before I could blurt out an emphatic Yes!, he added that it would probably mean I would have to leave Ireland….and before Ma could blurt out an emphatic No!, he said he had already told them I would be interested. He looked at Ma and smiled…adding it was time for me to see what I was made of.
We just had to wait to hear where I was going. Finally, the phone rang and I let Da answer it…he talked for a few minutes then hung up the phone. He looked at me and Ma…smiled…and said…time to pack your bags…you are heading to Istanbul!
When Da ended the call he looked at me and told me to go get Ma. I thought something must be really bad for him to want to talk to Ma after that call. I got Ma, watched her walk into the front room and headed out to the back garden. That is when I heard my name. Da was calling me back into the house. Yea, I started to run the last few days through my mind, trying to think of what I could have done wrong? Nothing came to mind…what was going on?
I walked into the front room with a mix of emotions, scared on the one hand, but nervous and excited on the other. What did I have to be excited about? Little did I know! Well, anyway, Da told us that phone call was from a SSL scout and they had seen the videos of me playing and were impressed with what they had seen. He asked if I was interested in playing, but before I could blurt out an emphatic Yes!, he added that it would probably mean I would have to leave Ireland….and before Ma could blurt out an emphatic No!, he said he had already told them I would be interested. He looked at Ma and smiled…adding it was time for me to see what I was made of.
We just had to wait to hear where I was going. Finally, the phone rang and I let Da answer it…he talked for a few minutes then hung up the phone. He looked at me and Ma…smiled…and said…time to pack your bags…you are heading to Istanbul!
