Stephen Hunt has raised a few eyebrows with his column in today's Sunday Independent about the age old comparison between GAA and soccer players. The Ipswich player knows more than most what it is like to play both sports and he argues 'If GAA players tried to live with the level of commitment shown by a professional footballer, they wouldn't know what hit them.'
Before a lynch mob forms, to be fair to Hunt I think what he's trying to argue is that due to the other aspects of life – such as work and college etc. – it's impossible for a GAA player to show the same commitment to their sport as a professional footballer.
His main argument is based around the importance of rest for a soccer player. Placing it almost on a even level with training. Speaking about his time at Reading, Hunt writes:
I would never go out and when I say 'go out', I don't mean a night out, I mean out. I never left the house. All I did was train and rest, train and rest.
He also gives an anecdote about driving 45 minutes to meet a friend in the airport a couple of weeks ago and how he felt he shouldn't really have done it. Many will argue that GAA players show greater commitment to try balance work and their sport but I think Hunt's point is that a footballer sacrifices life altogether.
Aside from rest Hunt also tells a story of how he spent £5,000 on an hour's therapy consultation because he'd convinced himself a groin injury he was suffering with in 2012 was all in his head. I'm not entirely sure how this relates to GAA players but must assume he was trying to convey the immense level of dedication he shows.
You can read his full column here.
Picture credit: Barry Cregg / SPORTSFILE
