A BOUT of 'messin' about' at half time in a junior match in Kiltipper (Tallaght) eleven years ago has resulted in a young Carlow soccer player heading for a professional contract to Portugal's Superliga last week. The extraordinary tale is that of super sportsman Padraig Amond from Milford who this weekend will don the colours (actually the Carlow GAA colours) of premier side Pacos de Ferreira in a possible debut match against Martimo on Sunday.

The 22 years old, considered superfluous to requirements at Shamrock Rovers by manager Mick O'Neill, is now on the brink of a glowing future, partly because of the belief of Sligo Rovers' resourceful boss Paul Cook who signed him last November.

Eleven years is a long time in any sport, but it was precursor to a fairytale twist for Padraig who is gifted at many sports, and a teenage dual player who has been lost to Carlow GAA because of prodigious talent with the ground ball.

The former Presentation College (Carlow) pupil is the classic argument against the burn-out theory; he with up to eleven county medals in different codes and frequently engaging in four in a given day.

His story is one of dedication and consistency to sport - primarily soccer - and indeed a testimonial to parents Pat and Patty (nee Quigley) who have driven up to 50,000 miles in a year to keep three of their sons in Shamrock Rovers colours - Padraig, John and Aaron - they often committed to three different venues on the same day and frequently back to Gaelic or other obligations on those days also.

On the Shamrock Rovers selection which faced Real Madrid in a pre-season friendly last year, Padraig is a product of one of the best academies in Irish soccer and was under the direction of Damien Richardson on several occasions, yet disappointed he did not get a run against Manchester United in the new Aviva Stadium.

Not even irregularity of starts in Tallaght could undermine a deep confidence in the Carlow footballer who was The Hoops Young Player of the Year in '08, and the move to the west was not only a vote for his determination but a measure of the player-assessment of Cook who is reported to have said, "you come over here and you'll score goals."

How right he was.

The divorce from Tallaght after so long an innings with arguably the most celebrated soccer club in the land was taken stoically. "I hadn't been playing as such football as I would have liked and I felt the move to Sligo would have been a good opportunity, and even a stepping stone, and I signed with them in November for the start of the season in March, and it prove to be the right decision because I played a lot of games and scored a lot of goals this season."

He started 29 of 31 games and has scored 23 goals and is the leading goal-scorer in the league (17 in 23 starts) and cup (6). "It's nice to leave with those numbers and it will add to my momentum going over there where hopefully I can start with a bang."

A chance remark in Porto led to the Pacos technical director travelling to see Padraig play in the cup semi-final, ironically against Shamrock Rovers, and the Carlow lad scored both goals in their 2-1 win, and less than 24 hours later he was officially a Pacos player, so impressed was the club representative. "I must have done something right in that game for they put I a bid the following day. They had to move fast because the transfer window was closing within a week. Sometimes the best things happen quickly."

Amond becomes the first Irish footballer to join Pacos and only the fourth Irish player to play in Portugal; Phil Babb and Alan Mahon with Sporting Lisbon and Dominic Foley with Braga.

"One of the reasons I'm moving is to try and enhance my national opportunities, for the chances of being selected from an Irish club are very slim. This could be one of the best decisions I've every made, and if it doesn't work out then I will have given it my best shot," recalling that Pacos beat Sporting Lisbon 1-0 two weeks ago.

Padraig could be in the first eleven shortly against second-placed Braga who knocked Seville and Celtic out of the Champions League in successive weeks, and face the rather intimidating experience of playing before possibly 30/40,000 occasionally. "Fingers crossed everything will work out well.

"Yes, I'm nervous about it but it's too big an opportunity to turn down. The last time I spoke to you I had ambitions to play perhaps in the Premier League with one of the lower clubs and also pursue coaching qualifications. I had planned to work my way up, but now I feel I've jumped a few steps ahead. I have to prove myself against the best over there."

Padraig talked the proposition over with his parents and girlfriend Claire Tully (Dublin) "I had to make sure it was the right decision. I could have taken the chance of finishing the season here, scored a few more goals and hoped a few clubs in English might have been interested, but sometimes you have to go with your instincts.

Padraig flew (with his mother) to Porto last Wednesday for a medical and had hoped to return last weekend (an international weekend) to put the finishing touches to leaving home.

Many of Padraig's friends who had heard the good tidings dropped by to wish him well as he prepared for the move of a lifetime the evening before his departure which may see him come under the national radar again as he did as an under 21 with caps against Lithuania, Bulgaria, Portugal and Austria.

When Aidan McGeady went to Russia (Spartak Moscow), many felt he would be out of the spotlight and thus out of national consideration, but Padraig is of a different opinion. "I read an article in which Marco Tardelli says McGeady's chances would be enhanced by playing on the continent and he encouraged Irish players to play there as the football would suit the Irish, and that's another reason I made up my mind. If I can get in and get a few goals you never know what can happen. I hope that if they see me scoring out there it would be very hard to ignore me."