'Playing for Roscommon brought great things in life to me as a person' says Duggan
Derek Duggan with Tulsk native Enda Raftery, now living in Chicago, at Friday evening's function for Roscommon supporters at 5 & Mad in New York. Pic: Roscommon GAA
Former Roscommon senior footballer Derek Duggan has revealed that putting on the Primrose and Blue jersey brought him great things in life as a person.
Speaking to the Roscommon Herald at a special supporters’ gathering in 5th & Mad on Friday evening, where he was a special guest alongside Paul Earley and David Neary, the former Castlerea St. Kevin’s player admitted that he was fortunate to come into a team in 1991 where experienced players took him under their wing, allowing him to excel as a footballer.
“I had great times. Playing for Roscommon brought great things in life to me as a person. The amount of recognition you get — you could go anywhere in Ireland and people would recognise you from Roscommon when you’re playing in Division One and Division Two. It has its perks and it was great to have a career like that," he said.
“But, looking back at it, I was very lucky to be part of a good team. When I first came on the scene, there were so many experienced lads that helped me an awful lot. I’ll always be thankful for that.
“It’s all about timing. You might be an excellent footballer, but you mightn’t get to make a good enough team. You might dwindle away in the background. So you need a bit of luck too,” he explained.
Derek’s son Jack will be part of the match-day panel for Sunday’s game in Gaelic Park, something that is a source of immense pride for the Duggan family.
“You prefer not to say anything, but you are glowing inside when you have one of your own involved. If he can make any contribution, that’s great. The fact that the team had an excellent league campaign has lifted everybody,” he said.
