Late convert Collins Ugochukwu hoping to realise Laois ambitions

"That's one of the things I'm good at. Stopping a guy from playing and taking him out of the game".

Collins Ugochukwu, originally from Nigeria, on what he brings to Gaelic football. In this year's O'Byrne Cup, Ugochukwu made his debut for Laois. As for now, he has opted off the O'Moore panel but is still very much involved with his club Courtwood.

Still only 25, you sense there is more to come in the Ugochukwu story, a continuation of a sporting life that has already encompassed a professional soccer career in the UK.

Speaking at the launch of SuperValu's #CommunityIncludesEveryone campaign, this adopted Irishman explains how the onset of Covid brought about a greater immersion in Gaelic games for somebody whose first love was soccer.

Ugochukwu arrived in Newbridge, Co Kildare as a three-year-old. His sporting ability was there to see from an early age. Newbridge Town took notice. A spell with Bohemians in the League of Ireland followed, before the move to Hibernian in Scotland. A further move saw him sign for Crawley Town, south of the border.

Reflecting on how he adapted to life as a professional footballer, Ugochukwu said: "It was good. It was tough because I was quite young going over to Scotland playing football and I was living in digs and all that stuff. It was quite a change, obviously, not having your parents around, not having any family members around.

"It was just me trying to achieve my goal, really. It was quite tough at the start but the boys over there were like my second family. They made me feel at home and were great. The staff and everyone was helpful.

"I got to come back home more often than I was actually allowed to which kind of helped. That was a big thing for me really."

March 2020. While back home in