Naomh Ultan's Duddy planned 'to hang the boots up' but still going at 41

There aren’t too many player-managers on the club scene here in Donegal, and Aidan Duddy of Naomh Ultan admits that he might not even be playing this season were it not for an injury crisis earlier in the campaign. 

Duddy, now 41, lined out at centre-half back as Naomh Ultan lost out to St. Eunan’s in the Junior A Championship at O’Donnell Park on Saturday evening.

Despite being on the losing side, Duddy had a fine game and even though there are years on the clock, he still has the physique and fitness to perform on championship weekend.

“I had planned to hang the boots up,” he said. “But it’s just the way the season has gone. We went out for a game in the middle of the league campaign and we’d 12 injuries. We were crucified. I went back after that and did a bit of training and listen, I’m enjoying my football. Any day you can pull on the boots and cross the white line, it’s nice.”

‘I’m loving every minute of it’ - Lee McMonagle back doing what he does best

Lee McMonagle was only 19 when he struck the all-important goal for St Eunan's in the 2012 Donegal SFC final and 10 years on he's part of the Letterkenny club's Junior A side, who had their best result to date last Saturday in defeating Naomh Ultan

Just short of 20 years ago, back in 2003, Duddy was on the Naomh Ultan side that played against St Eunan’s in the first round of the Donegal SFC. It was the club’s reward for winning the Intermediate title in 2002. He remembers marking Brendan Kilcoyne as St. Eunan’s got the win that started them on a journey that ended with defeat to Gaoth Dobhair in the final that rolled into the following Easter amid a spate of appeals.

These days, Naomh Ultan are back in the surroundings of the Junior A Championship but Duddy has lost none of the desire that comes with playing for your home club. Naomh Ultan are still not at full strength, but against St. Eunan’s on Saturday night, they played well in patches only to lose by four points, 1-12 to 1-8.

“There are a few lads that haven’t made themselves available, but that’s their choice,” the player-manager said. “All we wanted was boys who want to play for the club and that’s what you have to go with. When it comes to championship, you have to grit the teeth and have the desire to win.

“It took us a while to get going. St Eunan’s are not a bad side there to be fair. Once we got into it in the first half, against the wind I thought we controlled it a fair bit.  We got a point then at the start of the second half (to draw level) and you’re thinking, maybe we can kick on here. But it was one of those games, it didn’t happen.

“But all’s not lost. You have to look forward to next weekend. That game’s over now. When it’s not a knock-out and it’s still the group stage, you just have to move on.”

Next up for Duddy and Naomh Ultan is an away game against Robert Emmets on Saturday evening before they round off their Group B campaign at home to Urris the following weekend.