Kieran Healy has become a father twice over since joining Auchinleck three years ago - but he’s still waiting to get his hands on the daddy of all cups.
The midfielder has had to put up with the dressing room jibes of his team mates who are dripping in Junior Cup winners’ gongs since signing in 2019.
It’s hardly Healy’s fault he isn’t in the prestigious ‘Talbot club’ yet, it’s just the timing of his move to Beechwood could hardly have been worse.
He was plucked from Renfrew Juniors just weeks after Tommy Sloan’s side last won the grade’s biggest competition three years ago - extending their record to an astonishing 13 triumphs and six in 10 years.
Unfortunately for the 27-year-old that was also the last time the Junior Cup reached the final stage thanks to the coronavirus wrecking ball obliterating the past two seasons.
But the arrival of sons Archie (2) and Flynn just two weeks ago have given Healy extra motivation to finally land a medal when they come up against Yoker Athletic at Rugby Park this afternoon.
And he said: “You sign with Talbot because you know the history of winning trophies no more so than the Junior Cup.
“In my first season we were about to play the quarter final against Hurlford but it got cancelled and a week later covid brought everything to a stop.
“This is the first time the competition has been held since so I’m still waiting for the chance to play in a final .. I’ve had two kids in that time!
“The lads aren’t slow to remind me. There’s more medals in our dressing room than an army museum. Stevie White has six winners’ medals, big Andy Leishman five and Willie Lyle with three or four.
“I was having a moan that it was just typical when Covid ended my first season and Willie said ‘don’t worry I’ll give you one of my mine!”
Elder son Archie will be cheering on dad at Rugby Park this afternoon. He’s already a Talbot diehard and hardly missed a game this season including the Scottish Cup blockbusters against Hamilton Accies and Hearts.
But Healy reckons this afternoon’s game is the biggest of them all.
He said: “It’s a massive game, I’d say the biggest I’ve been involved in. Even bigger than playing Hearts in the Scottish Cup and beating Hamilton.
“This is our level, our bread and butter. And while it’s good to look back at the Hearts game that everyone says was a brilliant day, you have to remember we were the ones on the pitch chasing shadows for 90 minutes!
“I’ve seen the pictures of the village on Junior Cup Final day and I’m desperate to sample a bit of that for myself.
“Archie will be down with the family although it’s a bit soon for Flynn who is only two weeks.
“But Archie is there religiously. His favourite player is our keeper Andy Leishman which does my nut in!
“He got a pair of goalie gloves for his Christmas because he wants to be like Andy .. even though he’s only two!”
“We know it’s going to be a challenge. There’s no way we’ll take Yoker lightly - the manager would never allow that and there’s too many winners in our dressing room to act like that.
“Talbot always have a target on their back because of the success they’ve had.
“That’ll be the case at Rugby Park.
“We threw away the West of Scotland League in the last few weeks and the hurt of losing it the way we did is still a bit raw. We’re desperate to make up for that.”
