Jack Carty could have been lining out in the League of Ireland had things panned out differently for Robbie Benson’s old school pal.
Carty might even have played in England had his parents not pulled a fast one over a trial offer he received from Southampton.
Keen for him to stay at home and complete his Leaving Cert, they told him that a transfer embargo was in place at the Saints and that the invite had fallen through.
They somehow kept the yarn up for a decade and only told Carty about the fib when he broke into the Irish rugby team during this year’s Six Nations.
“Jack is a very talented centre-half,” said Dundalk ace Benson who was a classmate of Carty’s during their school days in Athlone’s Marist College.
Carty won football caps for Vinny Butler’s Irish Under-15s and current Premier League players Matt Doherty, Robbie Brady and Jeff Hendrick were among his team-mates.
But while they all signed for English clubs, Carty was still with Hodson Bay Celtic in Athlone and knew he had a decision to make.
Would he join Benson at Athlone Town for instance, continue with the Roscommon minor GAA team or throw his lot in with rugby?
Benson said: “He’s one of those guys who is very talented. He’s a brilliant rugby player, brilliant soccer player, brilliant Gaelic football player. He could do everything.”
Benson – fit again after the rib injury that ruled him out of most of Dundalk’s recent Champions League and Europa League games – dabbled in rugby himself but only in first year.
“It was a rugby school but I only did it because my friends were playing. Everyone was made to play it in first year and they wanted me to stick with it,” he said.
“But football was always my first love and as Jack made the right choice for himself, I made the right choice for myself as well.”
Tomorrow, Benson will tune in to watch Carty when he starts at out-half for Ireland in their World Cup warm-up clash with Wales in Cardiff.
And on Monday, Ireland coach Joe Schmidt will then reveal the 31 names that make up the squad for the looming finals in Japan.
Benson is keeping his fingers crossed that his old pal – capped five times – makes the grade and said: “Hopefully he gets in. He has played a lot over the last while and had a great season in the PRO14. It would be unbelievable for him to get on the plane.
“I don’t want to jinx him but it looks like he’ll be OK.
“The way rugby goes there’s knocks here and there as you go on. Even if he doesn’t make it, he’ll be the first man out there if there’s a knock in the backline.
“It’s brilliant to see him do so well and especially for someone who was always very talented but took his time to get his breakthrough at 26 or 27.
“To be getting your first taste of internationals is great to see. Robbie Henshaw was in the year behind me. It’s great to see the two of them do so well.
“For the town of Athlone to have two players in the Irish rugby team at a World Cup would be phenomenal.
“I met Jack at an ambassador night in Athlone in March and he seems to be really enjoying himself and looks very confident every time he plays.
“It has all panned out that we are playing at a high level in the sports we have chosen – it’s nice.”
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