O’Shea Waterford Sports Star of Month

JOHN O’SHEA is the Park Hotel Waterford Sport Star of the Month for October.

The 21-year-old Ferrybank man was receiving the prestigious award for a third time, having first been honoured as a 17-year-old. Making the presentation, Pierce Flynn said that in those intervening four years John O’Shea has all but taken the soccer scene both at home and in Britain by storm. “He is the Mr Versatility of Manchester United, starring in whatever role is handed to him by Sir Alex Ferguson, and now that he has broken into the Irish team, an equally long and successful international career lies ahead of him,’’ said Mr Flynn.

He said everyone in Waterford had followed John’s progress with a sense of immense pride, and given his youthfulness, he is poised to become another of the legends of Old Trafford. Fr Pat Moran OSA, chairman of the adjudicating committee, said that since the inception of the awards scheme there have been a total of 142 winners. “In John O’Shea,’’ he said, “we are honouring a rare talent in what has been a great sporting year for Waterford.’’ The award winner’s father, Jim O’Shea, said John’s breakthrough into the Manchester United team has been a source of great pride and joy for the entire family, and the winning of the Park Hotel monthly award is very special also for them.