Ikem Ugwueru bringing his size and pride to Clare football

Ask Ikem Ugwueru about the things he has brought from rugby to Gaelic football and he smiles as if to say just look at me.

The 23-year-old, born in Dublin to Nigerian parents, is in his first full season with Clare, where he grew up and went to school.

His superb physical conditioning is unquestionably explained in part by his previous commitment to rugby, first with Ennis RFC, then with Shannon at AIL level, his switch to the round ball already rewarded with Clare’s progress to Sunday’s Munster football final against Kerry.

“The physicality, that’s helped me a lot.” Ugwueru says with a smile. “Back then, my footballing skill wouldn’t be up there. I’d use my physicality to help that in a way. At club I play centre forward, so I am just kind of trying to run it through the lines, laying it off to the kickers, so yeah it has helped me so far.”

Seán Moran: League’s championship promise may be clouding but it remains bright at the top

---

Malachy Clerkin: The GAA should make more of St Patrick’s Day - and more of its intercounty stars

---

Sports Review 2023: Mary Hannigan picks the best quotes from the sporting year

---

GAA happy that GAAGo has ‘bedded in well’ as 2024 season launches

---

Ugwueru also credits Clare manager Colm Collins for bringing the belief, not just to him but the entire team, reflected in their quarter-final win over Cork, despite their league relegation to division three just weeks before.

“Colm is so passionate about Clare football and it’s infectious. Even myself, I’m late to football but I feel like I’ve been playing football for 10 or 12 years.

“He’s always instilled in me the belief that I should always believe in myself and what I can do... Even for myself coming into the team, the last four years I turned it down just to play rugby and he’s always come back to tell me ‘if you want to come in, it’s there for you,’ and I appreciated that. He’s stuck by me and shown me the belief that I can become a better footballer.

“I’d always play GAA in the summer, when I was playing rugby, and wouldn’t take it too seriously, it was just to keep fit because it did help me with the rugby because I was a winger and a fullback, so football helped.

“With Éire Óg the last two years were very good, and I was like ‘do you know what? I think I could do something more than just play club and test myself with the county.’ Everyone was telling me to go in with the county to see how I got on, and I was like ‘ok, yeah.’ I played Clare under-20′s so I went in with the seniors to see how it goes, and it’s been good so far. I haven’t regretted it.”

So to that relished chance to test Kerry on Sunday: and win or lose, Ugwueru is already taking great pride in being the first black player for his county.

“And I use it as motivation, I want more black people to play for Clare as well, that’s my aim. I don’t want to be the only one, I want my brother and sister to play as well if they are good enough. And anyone too, anyone that’s not from Ireland should come and try it out, because it is for everyone. In a way I’m even proving people wrong, so I’ll keep doing that and trying to be the best role model I can.”