KEVIN NOLAN SPENT the summer playing with Longford, he’ll be in action with Kilmacud Crokes later this month and could even find himself in the Monaghan colours in 2018.
The 28-year-old teacher took advantage of his summer off by spending a few months in New York, were he lived Queens and kicked ball with the Longford club.
An All-Ireland winner with Dublin in 2011 and 2013, Nolan was released from the Dublin squad before the 2015 championship after a bad run of injuries and illness.
Nolan was diagnosed as a coeliac shortly after the 2011 success, where he won man-of-the-match aged 23, and two months later found out he had type one diabetes. In 2014 he underwent back surgery to fix a bulging disc and couldn’t regain his place back in the side.
He played away with Kilmacud Crokes in the meantime, hoping his form in the highly competitive club championship would earn him a recall to the Sky Blues squad.
“There’s different things in life and you have other concerns you might want to venture around,” he says.
“For the lads that are in with Dublin it’s an exciting time for them. I would love to be involved but haven’t done enough to get in there. Personally, I’m looking at it as a fan.”
Crokes will face Ciaran Kilkenny’s Castleknock in the Dublin SFC quarter-final on 29 September and it may be Nolan’s final campaign in the gold and purple as he eyes a move to Monaghan.
“Things might happen in the next while that could mean I’m playing football in a different county.
“I got engaged recently we’re going to move up to Monaghan, that’s where my fiancé is from. There could be movement of club from Crokes to (a club) in Monaghan. If things happen, brilliant.”
A player of Nolan’s calibre and would certainly be of interest to Farney boss Malachy O’Rourke. For now, the defender is happy to concentrate on his Kilmacud duties.
“I’m just preparing as a club player now because we’ve a tough championship game coming up in three and a half weeks’ time.”
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