Jordan Hamilton often had Damien Duff on his mind when he was growing up as a kid in Canada.
But that was because he loved signing the Republic of Ireland legend whenever he played FIFA.
So it’s little wonder there’s an extra layer of intrigue for the new Sligo Rovers forward when Duff’s Shelbourne pitch up at the Showgrounds tonight.
Hamilton told Mirror Sport: “Somebody on our team told me their manager is Damien Duff and I said ‘Oh, wow!'.
“I remember being a young boy and playing FIFA with him on my team. In the game, he always had a really strong shot from distance and you’d want him on your side.
“He was definitely a legendary player and I loved watching him as a kid when the Premier League games were shown at home.
“It's pretty unique that I’ll be playing against him and it's something I can tell my family about.”
Twenty years ago this summer, Duff was one of Ireland’s brightest stars at the World Cup finals in Japan & Korea.
His famous bow after scoring against Saudi Arabia in Yokohama went down a treat with the host nation - and hasn’t been forgotten to this day.
That was Ireland’s last appearance on the world’s greatest stage, but Hamilton isn’t giving up hope of following in Duff’s footsteps.
Last Sunday, Canada stuffed Jamaica 4-0 to bridge a 36-year gap and qualify for the World Cup in Qatar later this year.
Hamilton has two senior caps for Canada - although the most recent was almost six years ago - and played through their underage ranks, including at an Under-17 World Cup.
But the former Toronto FC and Indy Eleven front man hasn't shut the door on playing his way into their World Cup plans.
At home in Sligo, he stuck the Jamaica game on his laptop and was close to tears after watching the scenes in Toronto unfold.
“It was an extremely proud moment for me having represented my country in the past,” said Hamilton.
“That's the thing I’ve taken most pride in during my career. These are the guys who I've my earliest memories playing football with.
“Boys like Richie Laryea, Kamal Miller, Doneil Henry, Jonathan Osorio, Liam Fraser, Steven Vitoria Milan Borjan and Mark-Anthony Kaye.
“I played with them since we were little kids and then in underage Canada teams and training camps.
“Watching them celebrate was a very fulfilling experience, even though I wasn't there to see the guys qualifying for a World Cup.”
Hamilton continued: “In the U17 and U20 youth teams, the coaches would always make sure that we knew the history of Canadian football.
“From a young age, I was pretty informed about our legends from the 1986 World Cup. And watching it last weekend, I almost teared up because there was such a wave of emotion.
“They all deserve it and we as a nation deserve it because we’ve always had quality football players. It just took us a little longer to get over the finishing line.”
John Herdman is the Englishman who has been Canada's senior boss since 2018, and the country’s women’s manager before that since 2011.
The likelihood is that he’ll stick with his tried and tested when finalising a 23-man squad for Qatar in November.
Deep down, Hamilton must know the prospects of breaking in are slim but Canadian players across Europe were this week placed on alert.
Hamilton said: "It's a good level in Ireland for me to put my best foot forward and make a big impression and that's my focus.
“I played my whole career in North America and always had a dream of playing in Europe.
“With this being a World Cup year, I wanted to put myself in the best environment that I could. I got the call from Sligo and wanted to test myself at a high level.
“Every Canadian player in Europe is being watched and all I can do is put myself forward so that I'm knocking on the door.
“I need to work hard and put myself in that conversation. It’s a goal of mine and would be a dream come true. I'm here to contribute and now it's up to me.”
