In the end, Ryan O'Donoghue's decision to choose GAA over soccer came down to what he wanted in his heart mixed with a tinge of reality.
The Mayo U20 footballer spent three seasons with Sligo Rovers, playing up to under-19 level having joined the League of Ireland side's underage set-up from Erris United.
A right-back, O'Donoghue won three caps for the Irish schoolboys, playing against England, Scotland and Northern Ireland in the Centenary Shield. He scored against Scotland in Killarney.
Pulling on the Ireland jersey against England was an especially proud moment for the Belmullet teenager. Aaron Drinan, now with Ipswich Town in the Championship, was also part of that Ireland team.
A talented sportsman, O'Donoghue, boxing for the Golden Gloves club in Belmullet, won an Irish title at Boy 1 level in 2010.
Just a few months after winning his schoolboy caps, he was lining out for the Mayo minors as they suffered defeat in the Connacht final against Galway. They would also fall against Kildare at the next stage.
The ambition during his time with Sligo had been to become the next Seamus Coleman - an easy path to spot considering they play the same position and he was lining out for the same club the Ireland captain had before joining Everton.
Ultimately, O'Donoghue knew it was one he could never take.
"My head was telling me to wait, but my heart was telling me to go with Mayo," the forward said at the launch of the EirGrid U20 Football Championship.
You're never going to be satisfied because you're always going to want to make it across to England and play for a Championship club or a Premier League club and that step-up was just way, way too high. I knew myself I wasn't that good, so it wasn't that hard a decision to make.
The feeling of pulling on the Mayo jersey versus the Sligo Rovers one has been a very different feeling for O'Donoghue.
"I had a Sligo crest on my heart and that's not what I wanted. I wanted a Mayo crest on my heart and to be going out playing for Mayo.
"It's Gaelic through and through in Belmullet. You wouldn't see many boys talking about soccer."
The short-term aim is to emulate clubmate Eoin O'Donoghue - no relation - who won the All-Ireland U21 Championship two years ago. Long-term, it's to follow another Belmullet man, Chris Barrett, in establishing himself with the Mayo seniors.
"My dream is to play senior with Mayo and that's the way it is.
"Someday, we will pick up that holy grail and lift that Sam. We just have to keep working hard.
"The likes of us at under-20s just have to keep coming through. Andy [Moran] is 34 now and boys like us have to keep pushing on and working hard and trying to get where Andy is. Someday, we will lift it."
A Business Studies student in Limerick, O'Donoghue was part of the UL side which surprised by getting to this year's Fresher A final. He spent the college year trekking up and down to Belmullet with a friend who has a car.
One of the younger members of the Mayo under-21 panel last year, he still found a spot on the starting team. The competition switching to under-20 this year means he's now among the leaders in the squad.
"There's a few of us now, Ross Deegan as well, he was in the under-21 set-up last year but unfortunately got injured. We were trying to bring the younger lads now. I'm trying to just bring them on.
"This is my last chance at underage level to win a medal. We'll be giving this a right go."
U20’s players, from left, Conor Shields of Tyrone, Liam O’Donovan of Cork, Fergal Hanratty of Monaghan and Ryan O’ Donoghue of Mayo at the launch of the EirGrid GAA Football U20 All-Ireland Championship. EirGrid, the state-owned company that manages and develops Ireland's electricity grid, enters its first year of sponsoring this competition after being title sponsor of the EirGrid GAA U21 Football Championship since 2015. #EirGridGAA
Photos by Sportsfile
