Sean O'Shea is the pride of The Kingdom today, after nailing a monster free with the last kick of the game to send Kerry through to the All-Ireland final after a rip-roaring battle with Dublin.
O'Shea opened and closed the matched with scores for his team, an early birthday present from the 23-year-old to himself, as he is due to celebrate his 24th year next week, as the match proved a close call all the way through.
Affectionately nicknamed by friends and family - and his own social media monikers - as Seánie, the player, a teacher by vocation, may have shone today, but he has been showing exceptional promise on the pitch from a very young age.
READ MORE: Watch Sean O'Shea's amazing last-gasp free that won it for Kerry against valiant Dublin
As over 73,000 fans of the game looked on today to see Kerry's first victory over Dublin in the Championship since 2009, Sean proved that his years of training in the fields of Kenmare had more than paid off.
However, Sean was singled out for his talents at a young age. As a mere eight-year-old boy, the Kenmare native was noticed for his diligence to the sport, and named one to watch out for by his coaches.
While playing at minor level, Sean decided to train himself up to perfect his free taking ability. The pressure of a free can shake the most experienced of players, but Sean takes them in his stride with a collected confidence that tends to see him (and the ball) soaring to success.
“He is very, very dedicated to his craft and he trains exceptionally hard," Kerry and Kenmare Shamrocks team-mate Stephen O’Brien told The Independent previously.
"I have known him for a long time and everyone in the club knew he was a very good prospect coming up. And it is great to see that he has turned from being a prospect to being a proper senior player for Kerry. He just fits in so well in the camp and he is definitely one of our leaders.”
While he was committed to the game from a young age, much of the encouragement towards the sport came from his family.
His father Sean played for Kenmare, and the Irish Times reports that he used bring his sons Sean and Dara to training with him as children. Sean and his brother would spend many hours outdoors practicing the sport.
“That’s what stood out,” Vince Cooper told the paper.
“He always came to school with boots and practised with boots on the field. He always had a ball in hand. He watched football, he went to games. The whole family had a great interest. That’s what was most impressive.”
Sean has won a number of awards for his sportsmanship over the years. He recently graduated from UCC and is in a relationship with long-term girlfriend Molly. He does some influencing work via his Instagram, with ads for AIB and clothing company Boohoo.
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