The 1994 Under 16 Euros were held on Irish soil. It changed one person's life.

For Alan Kirby, that was April 1994. He was 16-years-old, unknown outside his Avondale estate in Waterford, but in the eyeline of one of the most famous League of Ireland managers of all time.

He remembers catching the early train out of Waterford Plunkett, making his way from Heuston Station to Liberty Hall, standing on his own in the rain until a gangly kid from Galway arrived 10 minutes later with a kit bag in his hand.A few minutes later a kid from Drogheda called Ian Harte joined them.

Three days later it was England. Brian Frawley scored. Tolka Park erupted. Then, two minutes from time, Stephen Clemence - son of Ray - equalised. It went to a replay. A guy called Stephen Kelly scored the winner. Two weeks ago, Stephen’s son, also Stephen, played for Kelly’s Kenagh against Kirby’s Killoe in an Under 13 Longford Cup final. The football world may seem huge but in reality it is tiny.A domino effect began, one good thing leading to another.

“It just goes to show. The world changes so fast. Jamie Carragher and Emile Heskey were on that England team, Jesper Gronkjaer on the Danish side that made the final. Turkey beat them. They had a great team.”

Brian Kerr FAI Longford Town FC Aston Villa Football Club Waterford FC

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