An Irish man who scored a goal through an open window while wearing a horse mask has said he is available for the Republic’s crunch match against Italy.
Padraig McCormack, 24, from Sligo, was mobbed by dozens of cheering Irish fans when he successfully lobbed a ball through an open second-floor window in Lille.
The football fan said he wants to be modest about his wonder goal, but joked: “You can tell Martin O’Neill and Roy Keane I’m available for the right wing, but only if they ring my boss and my mother to ask their permission.”
Video: Irish man wearing horse mask scores goal through open window in Lille and the fans go crazy #irl #EURO2016 pic.twitter.com/x2Y4ZIYdn5
— Catherine Wylie (@wyliecatherine) June 21, 2016
Ireland must beat Italy in Wednesday night’s clash if they are to go any further at Euro 2016.
Reflecting on his day, Mr McCormack said: “It’s great like. I woke up this morning at 10.26, looked over and seen Dessie McTiernan in the bed beside me and contemplated whether I was going to go out today or not.
“I grabbed the bull by the horns, got up out of bed, had a nice hot shower and I felt like a new man.
I'm having dinner with the famous goal-scoring horse man of Lille. #irl #EURO2016 pic.twitter.com/6oz88opftM
— Catherine Wylie (@wyliecatherine) June 21, 2016
“I walked out of the shower and woke the lads up and made plans.
“We ended up in Tir na nOg, half two in the day. The craic was good. Had a few drinks and the horse mask came out.
“Des handed me a football. The crowd was behind me cheering me on.
“I took a punt at the open window and it went in and the crowd went wild.”
A video of Mr McCormack in action has prompted some to suggest he would be a good man to start for Ireland against the Italians on Wednesday night.
