The person who set him most on the path to professional football was there to watch John Egan score his first two goals for Brentford on Saturday – his mum.
It is well known that Egan comes from a sporty family, with his dad, who passed away a few years back, being a Gaelic football legend back in his native Ireland.
But it was his mum who played the version of the round ball game her son eventually chose for a career, and was at Griffin Park to see his brace put Ipswich Town to the sword.
He said: “My dad was a gaelic footballer – but it was my mum Mary that was the footballer from my parents. She was here today in the crowd and hopefully very proud.
“We plan to celebrate with a good feast of steak. She was a tough-tackling full-back, and she won a League of Ireland medal playing for Cork Rangers, so she had a great soccer career.”
Both Egan's goals came from set pieces in the second half, and the summer signing from Gillingham admits he couldn't have dreamt a better home debut.
He said: “As a home debut for Brentford in the Championship it really couldn’t have gone any better – we got the win, and a clean sheet, and to get the two goals was brilliant.
“I do feel like I can notch a goal or two going up for corners, but this was special. I had people in the crowd from home supporting me as well, which made it even better.
“Harlee (Dean) put a great block on a defender for the first goal, that was a little training ground routine and it worked. It might have looked like I was unmarked, but work went into that, plus I broke away from my man. Then the second one, Nico (Yennaris) has had a good shot saved, and I read the rebound.”
With Andreas Bjelland and Yoann Barbet nearing returns, competition at centre-back will become fierce at Brentford, but Egan is stating a great place for his and Harlee Dean's partnership.
He added: “It is definitely a big season for me in my career. I need to come here and play well for Brentford and show what I am about.
“There is real competition for places at centre back here, that is healthy to drive you on – but I have the utmost belief in my ability, and believe I can do well for the team.
“The partnership with Harlee is getting stronger. Against Ipswich we were up against lively forwards in Daryl Murphy, an Ireland international, and Freddie Sears, and we dealt with them quite well.
“They didn’t trouble us too much and we were solid as a back unit. The more you play with your team-mates, the better it should get.”
Brentford will look to take their form from the Ipswich win into tomorrow night's home game against Nottingham Forest.
