Josh van der Flier finally gets to live his Lions dream

Josh van der Flier gets his chance to wear that famous red jersey at the age of 32 and bring to life the dreams he played out in his back garden after watching the Lions from afar here at home two decades ago.

LIONS DREAM: Josh van der Flier Lions dream is finally coming through after missing out on the 2021 Tour. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Josh van der Flier has gone a long way for a man who never really went anywhere. The day job is a Leinster outfit that has its base in UCD, a campus where he attended college and played AIL rugby before moving on to the professional game.

His home matches, for both club and country, are played in the city where he went to school and learned so much about his trade. Even his first experience with the British and Irish Lions has had Dublin as its initial backdrop.