CILLIAN SHERIDAN grew up in Bailieborough County Cavan, initially a keen basketball player inspired by Michael Jordan.
He soon developed a talent for Gaelic football playing for Balieboro Celtic.
“I still have it in my head that I’m a better Gaelic football player but it’s not true really as the game has changed since I played it,” he told The Irish Post this week.
“We would play soccer at night with friends and Gaelic football at school.
“When I moved from Bailieborough to FC Belvedere in Dublin we played in a league at soccer.
“Scouts were coming over from Scotland and England to have a look”.
Cillian Sheridan (Pic: Richard Purden)The 34-year-old striker soon had trials for teams such as Norwich, Sunderland, Blackburn and Celtic.
It was the latter who decided to sign the player under club legend Tommy Burns.
“It was around Easter time 2006 and I moved over a few months later.
“When I signed for Celtic, I was introduced to Gordon Strachan on crutches, I had sprained my ankle the week before, and he said to Tommy, ‘Are you trying to mess me up already?' “He had just won his first league with Celtic”.
While some of Sheridan’s teammates had travelled with him over to sign for Celtic, not everyone made the grade.
“A few of the lads struggled with homesickness and gave up, the other thing was I wasn’t a big Celtic fan, if someone asked me what team I supported it was Leeds, Celtic was just a given in Ireland.
“I think that was good in a way because when I went into the gym I didn’t recognise any of the first-team players.
“When I first arrived there was a first-team player in the gym recovering from injury, I didn’t know who he was.”
Cillian Sheridan pictured during a Dundee FC photocall in August 2021It was February 2007 when Sheridan was called to play for the first team in a cup game against Inverness Caledonian Thistle.
“I wasn’t expecting to play, I didn’t even have my boots with me.
“I borrowed a pair of Puma boots from Stephen Pearson, I had no time to think about it, it all happened so quickly”.
What do you remember about the debut?
“The thing that stands out most was Neil Lennon coming over and saying how well I had done, he could be ruthless in training if you made a sloppy mistake, he had such high standards but if you did something good, he let you know.”
Rod Stewart recently described his favourite Celtic goal as Nakamura’s 30-yard free kick against Manchester United to win the match 1-0 during a vital Champions League game.
“I was at that game,” says Sheridan.
“I was the ball boy, Man United were warming up and Wayne Rooney was looking for a ball, so I passed one to him.
“Fast-forward a year and I’m playing against United for Celtic in the same competition.
“It was around the time of my 18th birthday”.
Sheridan in action for Welington Phoenix in New ZealandThe opportunity to play against United came after the striker scored against Hibernian at Easter Road during a 4-2 win.
“I remember taking a corner in that game against Man U, I often think what would have happened had that gone in.”
Once Tony Mowbray arrived, Sheridan wasn’t “his type of player”, the Irishman would play for clubs in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Poland and New Zealand before returning to Scotland where he has either signed or been loaned out to several clubs during his career.
He would be involved in another moment of history at Celtic Park when scoring for Kilmarnock during a 2-1 win over Celtic for the first time since 1955.
“I remember not celebrating the goal and some Celtic fans thanked me saying they appreciated it and that it was a classy move but really, I don’t celebrate much, I usually just point at the player who helped set up the goal”.
Sheridan is currently training with Dundee where he is a free agent.
