Football scholarship the right move for O'Donoghue

Andy O'Donoghue - studying on a football scholarship in the US but back for a few weeks and has teamed up with his old club Ngongotaha. 22 May 2017 Daily Post Photograph by Stephen Parker

Four years of flying around the US playing football - all paid for by someone else - may be coming to an end for Andy O'Donoghue in December.

The again, it just might continue.

O'Donoghue, 22, is studying at Indiana Purdue Fort Wayne in America on a football scholarship. Back in Rotorua for the US summer break, he has taken the opportunity to lace up his boots for his former club, Ngongotaha AFC.

He is back under the guidance of his former club and Western Heights High School coach Shane Davis and has, for the first time, been able to play alongside his younger brother in the Ngongotaha first team.

"This is where I started playing," he said. "The guys in the first team now are the guys I was playing with at high school when we were 14 and 15, so it's good to come back and play alongside the guys I pretty much grew up playing with.

"And it's great to be playing under Shane. The chairman and all the people on the board are still here."

O'Donoghue has bolstered the Villagers' problematic defence, slotting in at centre back.

That has the added bonus of giving him the opportunity to play next to younger brother Eamon at the back.

"I've played with Joe, my older brother, before at Ngongotaha, but never played with Eamon before [in the first team], so it's pretty cool to be able to play at the back together at Ngongy."

Davis coached O'Donoghue at Western Heights High and at Ngongotaha AFC before the youngster had his final year of schooling at Auckland's Mount Albert Grammar School (Mags).

There he was coached by former All Whites coach Kevin Fallon.

That relationship saw O'Donoghue head to the US.

"He had a lot of contacts and he recommended that I go over to the States and got me in touch with a lot of different people over there.

"It wasn't something I had planned on doing, it was more that I was at Mags and I was finishing at high school and I was asking Kevin what he thought was the best next thing for me to do - whether to try to get to Europe or try and get to America.

"He more or less said I should try and continue my education and see if I could get a scholarship so it's paid for, and that America was probably the best route for me to go. After that, if I wanted to try and play in Europe, then I could still do so."

It was the right decision.

"I love it over there and I'm really glad I went. I've pretty much seen America. I've been to some pretty cool places, been to tournaments in Las Vegas and Denver and Texas, all that sort of stuff.

"And I've been able to fly around America free of charge and play football."

His college team plays at the highest level, division 1, and last season had a college record nine wins from 18 games.

But, unlike the football he plays here, there is huge competition among individuals.

"The way it works over there, there are rolling subs and a team of 24 to 26 players.

"A lot of players are on scholarships and there are a lot of kids that all have the same ambitions and who are all pushing for the same thing. Here, it's more like a brotherhood, I'd say.

"Playing for Ngongotaha, you're playing with your mates. Over there, it's just a lot more competitive. There's competition to get on the field and once you're on, you want to try and stay on."

As for what happens next, December sees the college combines that are part of the draft system in the US.

"If I can get a contract over there then I will, but if not I'll probably head over to the UK."

O'Donoghue returns to the US in early June for pre-season training before the season starts in August.