CELTIC striker Adam Idah has confessed that playing hurling as a boy prepared him for the physical demands of being a professional footballer as he looked forward to returning to his home town Cork to play a friendly this summer.
Republic of Ireland internationalist Idah played the native Gaelic game when he was growing up and loved it so much he was initially reluctant to move to Norwich City when the English club signed him as a teenager.
The 29-times capped 24-year-old forward played both Gaelic football and hurling for local outfit Douglas and showed as much promise in those sports at an early age as he did in association football.
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“I love the hurling,” he said as he helped Celtic to promote their Cork Super Cup friendly match against Cork City at the SuperValu Pairc Ui Chaoimh on July 8. 
“I didn't actually want to move over to England when I was younger. I wanted to stay and play hurling. I think it worked out well in the end, but I still love hurling. I watched the lads play in the final not that long ago. I still keep in touch with it.”
Asked if he felt hurling had prepared him for a career in football, Idah said: “Yeah, I suppose so. It's a lot more aggressive than football, I can tell you that. When I watch the games now, I'm like, ‘Wow! I don't know how I used to do that’.
“I suppose any sport in general builds a lot of character in you when you’re younger. Playing with friends and going out and enjoying the sport you love can really build you as a person. Yeah, I suppose it has helped.”
Meanwhile, Idah has expressed hope that playing Cork City in pre-season can help Celtic to build up confidence ahead of the 2025/26 campaign just like their matches against the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City did last summer.
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“Obviously I missed those games as I wasn't there at that point,” he said. “But I think saw the confidence the lads got from those friendlies. They probably brought it into the start of the season.
“Even with the Champions League games, you can see us when we’re playing the big teams, we're not scared to play these big teams. We can go take it to everyone. I think it all started from the pre-season games and it's been great for us. So, hopefully now we can carry on building on that.
“That's what pre-season is great for. Everyone wants to play in the season, so that's a big opportunity for us boys to go out and show what we can do. It'll be a great game. Obviously, Cork City are a great side and they're going to be up for it just as much as we are. It'll be an exciting day for everyone.”
