Mahon has head back in the game and enjoying new lease of life at Waterford 

The Sligo native was left go by his hometown club. 

John Mahon of Wateford with his SSE Airtricity / SWI Player of the Month Award for August 2026. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

For a player who relies on heading, the realisation something needed rectifying between his ears was the turning point in Waterford defender John Mahon’s career.

Returning to his hometown club of Sligo Rovers from St Johnstone in 2024 offered the impression of respite.

Scotland hadn’t worked out and the Showgrounds made sense to rekindle his footballing love.

Suffering an Achilles rupture threatened that safe space, hurtling his mindset into a dark place of considering a career change into carpentry.

When it came to 2025, losing his spot in John Russell’s team and being eventually released could at least be rationalised by the techniques he’d been taught.

“I thought coming back from Scotland would just solve all the problems but my injury expanded them tenfold,” explains the SSE Airtricity/Soccer Writers Ireland player of the month for August.

“I wasn’t sure if I wanted to continue playing football but my girlfriend Megan put me in touch with a psychologist.

“That took a weight off my shoulders because I could see clearly again about what I wanted.

“Come the end of the season, as disappointing as it was to be let go, it was nice to get out of Sligo to test myself somewhere else.” 

Relocating from one side of the country to the other took a leap of faith. The 26-year-old admits offers to remain in the Premier Division were limited but 10 months on doesn’t complain about the five-hour crisscross to visit relatives in Collooney.

“If, let's say, Galway came in I'd probably be still kind of close enough to be wanting to go home on my days off,” he confessed.

“It's nice to be so far away that you're separated from Sligo.

“If I hadn’t visited the psychologist, after the struggles of Scotland when I was out of the team and living alone, then the Waterford decision might have been an issue. But I’ve flourished here, having the best season of my career.” 

It helps that he’s part of the country’s form team. Graham Coughlan, a former centre-back himself, has embedded his trio of Corkman Kevin Long, Hayden Cann and Mahon as the defensive backbone since taking charge of a Blues side in May marooned at the foot of the table.

Their season has been transformed by an 11-match unbeaten run, eight of them victories, that has both elevated them clear of relegation trouble and sealed an FAI Cup semi-final at Bohemians on October 9. They could rise to sixth on Friday by beating Dundalk at home.

“Within the first week of training under Graham, there was some fighting with the players and we knew there was no messing here with him,” Mahon revealed.

“I’ve massive respect for Jon Daly from signing me but we didn’t really know where we were playing.

“We needed results and it probably wasn’t the nicest football at the time but we got the wins to push us up the table. The plan was simple to find ways of winning. Then you can start playing the football you want.

“Seeing the way Kevin (Long) trains and plays gives me so much to learn. He could easily have come in as Kevin Long, the international with that bit of ego, but he’s always willing to help me and the younger lads.” 

Although Waterford have swapped places with the club he had two spells at, there’s no sentiment around Sligo’s likely slippage into the First Division.

“Facing Sligo the first time earlier in the season felt strange but, at the same time, they're the club that let me go. So, I'm glad we're ahead of Sligo and building the gap between us. to be honest.”