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Waterford's 46-year-old goalkeeper, Darren Mulhearne. twitter.com/mulhearne

'A dream come true': 46-year-old keeper in line to make Championship debut for Waterford

Darren Mulhearne was first called into the senior panel at 17, back in 1989.

DARREN MULHEARNE WILL get to live his dream this summer as the 46-year-old is in line to make his debut between the sticks for Waterfordโ€™s senior football panel.

Having received a call-up for the senior inter-county panel at 17, the father of three will now join the panel 29 years later to bolster Benji Whelanโ€™s Championship outfit.

Speaking on the Ryan Tubridy Show on RTร‰ Radio 1, Mulhearne admits the call-up is a โ€œdream come trueโ€.

โ€œThis day last week, Benji gave me a call and asked me did I want to play football for a couple of months,โ€ he said.

I answered: โ€˜With who?โ€™

โ€œHe told me with the Waterford team and I asked him would he leave it with me. I was in a bit of shock now to be honest.

I spoke to my wife about it and she told me that if he thinks Iโ€™m good enough for it I should go for it. I rang Benji back and said Iโ€™d be delighted to do it.

โ€œItโ€™s a dream come true,โ€ he said adding; โ€œIโ€™m on the panel now, so Iโ€™ve to fight to get a place on the starting team.โ€

Benji Whelan Former manager of The Nire, Benji Whelan, has put his own distinctive stamp on the Waterford team this year. Cathal Noonan / INPHO Cathal Noonan / INPHO / INPHO

Waterford take on Clare at Cusack Park in two weeks time โ€“ on 15 May โ€“ as they kick off their Munster Championship campaign.

Mulhearne also lamented not being able to commit to the team in previous years, but told Tubridy he is ready now to take his chance.

โ€œI went on the panel [in 1989] for the winter training, the pre-season thing.

โ€œUnfortunately, I was doing my Leaving Cert that year so I couldnโ€™t give the commitment and left it after a couple of weeks.

โ€œOh, it is [the dream]. Definitely. In any sport you want to try and get to the highest level you can. Inter-county is the highest level so it was always a dream to get the call to start.

โ€œUnfortunately it never happened โ€“ until a week ago.โ€

You can listen to Mulhearneโ€™s full interview on RTร‰ here.

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    Mute Nathan Mawhinney
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    Apr 30th 2019, 7:04 PM

    Is son injured? have a feeling Ajax might win this one

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    Mute Simon Kearney
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    Apr 30th 2019, 7:09 PM

    @Nathan Mawhinney: Suspended

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    Mute Barry Evans
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    Apr 30th 2019, 7:15 PM

    @Nathan Mawhinney: suspended for the first leg

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    Mute Dave Fingleton
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    Apr 30th 2019, 7:18 PM

    @Nathan Mawhinney: son is suspended. Think you might be right, Spurs attacking football should suit Ajax to play on the break. As a long suffering Spurs fan I know never to have high expectations..just try to enjoy the football..

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    Mute David A Roberts
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    Apr 30th 2019, 11:16 PM

    @Nathan Mawhinney: apparently spurs have never lost a champions league final! :-)

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    Mute Macker
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    Apr 30th 2019, 8:57 PM

    Spurs medical team were very poor in treating Vertonghen, the ref showed more concern than they did. Time for independent HIAs to be introduced

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    Mute Orla Smith
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    Apr 30th 2019, 7:30 PM

    Handy number for Ajax, they must have been delighted with the draw.

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    Mute Quentin Moriarty
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    Apr 30th 2019, 7:45 PM

    @Orla Smith: Tottenham ,Tottenham no one can stop em
    Weโ€™re gonna do it again
    Weโ€™re going to bring the big cup back to White Hart Lane
    So ,come on you Spurs

    Ahh the glory days of soccer .

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    Mute CrabaRev
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    Apr 30th 2019, 7:58 PM

    @Orla Smith: This is going to be a great game of football.

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    Mute ParSim
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    Apr 30th 2019, 9:30 PM

    @Quentin Moriarty: Hahahahaโ€ฆ

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    Mute Ottomaaan
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    Apr 30th 2019, 8:22 PM

    Jez spurs canโ€™t get their foot on the ball. Very impressive start from AJAX.

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    Mute Yorkie1892
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    Apr 30th 2019, 8:27 PM

    Ajax play some great football! really slick moves. Very entertaining

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    Mute EK
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    Apr 30th 2019, 8:23 PM

    Ajax have been a joy to watch insofar. Tottenham struggling to get any meaningful possession.

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    Mute Vote4Pedro
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    Apr 30th 2019, 8:35 PM

    Van de beek had alot of time on the ball b4 lettin fly

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    Mute Orla Smith
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    Apr 30th 2019, 8:38 PM

    @Vote4Pedro: You should have been a football pundit.

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    Mute Vote4Pedro
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    Apr 30th 2019, 10:15 PM

    @Orla Smith: oh my, the intellectual racist has a sense of humour

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    Mute Hirving Lozano
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    Apr 30th 2019, 7:56 PM

    Iโ€™m going 3-1 Ajax

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    Mute Hirving Lozano
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    Apr 30th 2019, 8:54 PM

    Ajax could run away with this in the second half if Tottenham attack there counter attacking football is superb

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    Mute dannyboy
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    Apr 30th 2019, 9:59 PM

    Well done Ajax deserved win against the โ€œtin lidsโ€โ€ฆthese bridesmaids wonโ€™t score 2 in Amsterdamโ€ฆtherefore should be a great final between Ajax and Barcelonaโ€ฆme thinksโ€ฆ

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    Mute Dougal67
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    Apr 30th 2019, 9:53 PM

    If llorente was free spurs were robbed?

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    Mute The Bloody Nine
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    Apr 30th 2019, 10:15 PM

    @Dougal67: didnโ€™t he score the goal that put them through to the semis?

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    Mute Dougal67
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    Apr 30th 2019, 10:22 PM

    @The Bloody Nine: I was being sarcastic, heโ€™s an awful player height thatโ€™s it if he was under 6ft Finn harps wouldnโ€™t have him, if the ball was covered in glue it would bounce off him, I would probably beat him for pace and Iโ€™m 51

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    Mute Dougal67
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    Apr 30th 2019, 10:20 PM

    See if I can get an answer here havenโ€™t on any other hys with spurs fans. What exactly does deli alli do? Canโ€™t tackle no pace doesnโ€™t create doesnโ€™t score goes missin for ages jees 10mins in before I heard his name tonight? Team sheet every game squad depth must be bad.

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    Apr 30th 2019, 9:09 PM

    Poch has messed up his starting tactics multiple times now. Liverpool , Dortmund , Man United.off the top if my head.not a Spurs fan but he seems to get away with these blunders..anyone with a brain said a back 3 was illadvised.

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    Mute Willy Motley
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    Apr 30th 2019, 9:42 PM

    That Ajax side is going to be ripped apart in the summer

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    Mute Freddie Rincon
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    Apr 30th 2019, 9:48 PM

    @Willy Motley: I think they will get ripped in the champions league final too.

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    Apr 30th 2019, 9:56 PM

    @Freddie Rincon: explain why

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    Mute Nigel Hayden
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    Apr 30th 2019, 7:22 PM

    Just hope thereโ€™s no brain farts by spurs defenders COYS

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