Greg Bolger says the best education he got in football was when current Ireland Under-21 boss Jim Crawford kicked him from head to toe.
And the new Sligo Rovers recruit feels young League of Ireland stars could benefit from lessons at the school of hard knocks.
The no-nonsense midfielder, 32, never shirked a tackle in a career that has so far yielded three league titles and three FAI Cups with three different clubs.
He broke his leg playing for Shamrock Rovers last season but returned right at the end of the season for a swansong before joining the Bit O’Red.
At the Showgrounds, he has been reunited with Liam Buckley having won the league under him at St Pat’s in 2013 and the FAI Cup the following season.
And Buckley reckons his new signing’s winning mentality is just as important off the pitch as on it.
Bolger said: “I don’t want to be talking myself up or anything, but I just have that hunger and desire to keep doing well.
“’I’ve been lucky enough to play in some great teams over the years - Pat’s, Cork and Shamrock Rovers.
“I have that drive, that will to win. I’m 32 now and Liam wants to drive the lads on with my experiences.
“But when I look at myself, those types of characters are going out of the game.
“My game as a 6 has been about reading the game, getting around the pitch and cutting out passing lines and that hasn’t changed.
“But these days everyone wants to be a ‘ten’, getting on the ball but not having game management.
“I learned my trade the hard way listening to senior pros, getting kicked around at underage. The game has probably changed because it was tough love.”
Bolger continued: “When I was at UCD we had the 21s or 23s league and on Saturdays you played against the top professionals who didn’t play on a Friday.
“I came up against Joseph Ndo, Jim Crawford - lads who had serious careers and I was 17 or 18. It really stood to me.
“Jim was at Shelbourne and he kicked me from head to toe but you learn so much. Danny Ventre up here at Sligo, playing against him was nasty.
“But it’s about learning game management and knowing when to speed up or slow down a game.
“That’s being lost in academy setups and coaching manuals where it’s all about your style and your philosophy - but you could be 2-0 or 3-0 down.
“You get that from experiences and from being kicked around.”
