Model Forde reflects on the long road

APART from an unfortunate incident in a Leinster championship game in Croke Park two years ago which earned him a suspension and harmed his reputation for a while, life as an inter-county footballer has been quite fulfilling for Matty Forde.

He is the county’s only All Star and he has distinguished himself in the International Rules Series, but most of all he has won wide acclaim for his skill and his scoring ability. Few would doubt a capacity to hold down a regular place in any top team.

But, he hasn’t forgotten the bad days, from the time he made his debut in the league away to Fermanagh in early 1999, and played his first championship game against Longford. What he remembers about those early years is that Wexford were in Division Four, viewed among “the bottom three or four teams” in the country and that winning a few games in the league would have represented progress.