Katie Taylor has revealed that a call from her “absolute idol” Roy Keane helped lift her from her “lowest moment” in boxing.
The Irish lightweight defends her unified titles against Amanda Serrano on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden and has a 20-0 record as a professional boxer.
However, the Irish fighter was beaten in her final fight as an amateur, losing to Mira Potkonen of Finland in the quarter-finals of the women’s lightweight competition at the 2016 Olympics.
Taylor had been bidding to defend the gold medal won at London 2012 in Rio de Janeiro, and admits the defeat left her “heartbroken”.
Yet a call from fellow former Republic of Ireland football international Keane helped lift her after a tough last eight exit.
“I mean to get a phone call from [Roy Keane], my absolute idol, my hero, in my lowest moment meant so much to me, I have to say,” Taylor explained to sportsjoe.ie.
“He was just so encouraging towards me. I was obviously saying how disappointed and heartbroken I was about the loss at that time, just about my performance in general.
“But he was nothing but supportive, nothing but encouraging and just to hear those words from him during my lowest point was... He didn’t have to do that really.
“That was just amazing of him to even think of me during that time and to pick up the phone to me. I’m sure he has a lot on his plate, but the fact he actually took time to actually give me a call meant so much.”
Taylor faces Serrano in New York in a fight billed as one of the biggest of all-time.
The Puerto Rican 33-year-old has just a single defeat from 44 fights as a professional and has held nine major world titles across seven different weight classes.
Before pursuing boxing full-time, Taylor represented the Irish national women’s football team 11 times, citing Keane as a someone she looked up to.
The Bray-born boxer believes that his mentality is still something upon which she can draw.
My favourite athlete of all time would’ve been Roy Keane, genuinely,” Taylor explained. I looked up to him so much growing up, just his winning mentality.
“He was a no-nonsense player, a no-nonsense man and never settled for second best, he just had a winning mentality.
“That’s the sort of player I wanted to be on the pitch, and that’s the sort of mentality I want to have as an athlete.”
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