The Shape I’m In: Kevin Kilbane

By Irene Feighan

IT pays to have a thick skin in team sports, all the more so when you’re the son of Irish immigrants playing professional football in England.

Though born and reared in Preston, Lancashire, growing up Kevin Kilbane was frequently reminded of his heritage — his father is from Co Mayo and a mother from Co Longford — and he learned early on not to let the jibes upset him.