LIMERICK HURLER CIAN Lynch is one of the most promising young talents in the game and his skills with a hurl don’t go unnoticed by fans around the country.
But it now turns out he caught the eye of John Terry during a Lynch family holiday in Dubai a couple of years ago.
The Patrickswell forward was pucking a ball around with his brother beside the hotel’s swimming pool, Terry noticed the young Limerick lads playing and came over to join in.
“We were pucking around beside the swimming pool, casual as you like,” Lynch explained to the GAA’s website.
“We saw John Terry approach us and we got a shock, as you would – John Terry, we thought we were dreaming.
“He came over and started pucking around with us, a pure natural, like a lad who was playing tennis or golf the whole time. We were in awe of him.”
Terry told Lynch how he had seen hurling been played in London and was ‘mad’ to know the rules and how to play it.
“He picked up the hurley as casual as you like, pure down to earth, and belted away with us for around an hour,” Lynch continued.
“He was examining the hurley very closely and looking at the sliotar, the same as anyone would if they came across a sport they didn’t know anything about.
“We explained to him how the game works with county teams and club teams. We told him playing for Patrickswell was like playing for Chelsea and then playing for Limerick was like playing for England.
“He was good, a natural full-back I’d say by the look of him, but don’t tell that to Richie McCarthy. He was very good, though he had that tennis or golf swing that fellas have when they are not used to it.
“It was an experience we will never forget. We got a photo but I don’t know where it’s gone to now.”
