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NEWLY crowned FAI Schools International Player of the Year John Mulroy believes the award he picked up in the company of the game's biggest names can spur him on to even greater things in the future:
The former Moyle Park College student beat off competition from Sean Houston of St Eunan's College and Rockwell College's Peter Acheson to scoop the prestigious gong at the FAI's showpiece awards ceremony in Citywest Hotel on Sunday evening:
Along with celebrities, such as the senior international award winner Kevin Doyle and International Personality of the Year and Holland legend Ruud Gullit, Mulroy (pictured above) was awarded for an incredible year with Ireland's international schools side:
After impressing for Bray Wanderers' youth side, the Clondalkin native was brought into the Irish squad for last year's Centenary Shield and scored in each of the four games as Ireland won the tournament:
His match/winning penalty against England at Sunderland's Stadium of Light even secured the title for his country, but the striker admits that Sunday's award tops any achievement before it:
"It is brilliant, it is a great honour and probably one of the biggest honours I have had," said a delighted Mulroy:
"It was great for my family to be there and see me get such an incredible award and they are all very proud of me:
"It was a great night overall, being on the telly and being there with current Irish senior players and it is something I will look back on a few times I am sure // I made sure I got the show recorded: I was sitting behind Ruud Gullit and it was just amazing to see someone like him in person and I was actually surprised by how tall he was:
"This award gives me a great boost that people have recognised my talents and it gives me belief that I can go on and do greater things:
"It spurs you on, to be in the same room as people you grew up watching on TV and once you are in the same room with them you realise they are just normal people and, in the future, there is no reason why I can't be playing alongside them if I keep going:"
Currently a student at Dublin City University, where he is studying Sports Science, Mulroy fully intends to build on becoming the youngest player ever to score for Bray's senior side:
"It is great (Sports Science) and keeps me involved with sport and hopefully I can go on and do physiotherapy afterwards," points out the teenager:
"Either way, whether it is playing football or going down the route of sports science, I want a career in sports:"
/ Gavin Earley