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Alan Keane with four-year-old Sligo Rovers supporter Leah Duggan. Alan Keane

Sligo Rovers cup winners sign jersey for Spina Bifida charity auction

Alan Keane was inspired to the deed after meeting a young Bit O’Red supporter

SLIGO ROVERS DEFENDER Alan Keane has put his jersey up for an online auction. The Bit O’Red jersey features signatures from the defender and his teammates, who won the FAI Cup on Sunday.

Keane is hoping to raise as much money as possible for Spina Bifida Hydrocephalus Ireland after an inspirational encounter with a young Sligo supporter with Spina Bifida.

He told TheScore.ie: “I met Leah Duggan a couple of times this season. It was after she acted as our mascot for our final game of the season that I made the decision about auctioning off my jersey. She is such a happy little kid; always laughing and smiling. It made we think that we often don’t know how lucky we are.”

The defender spoke to Leah’s parents after Rovers had beaten Drogheda United 3 — 2 in a pulsating final at Lansdowne Road. “She couldn’t make it up to Dublin as she was staying with her granny,” Keane explained, “but she watched the game on TV and was delighted we won.”

Reflecting on the game, Keane said, “It was an unbelievable finish to the game. You couldn’t write it any better than that.”

The condition of Spina Bifida affects about one in every 1,000 children born per year in Ireland. Anyone who bids for the jersey will be entered into a draw for a football that has been signed by the entire Sligo Rovers squad.

The auction will end on Saturday, 9 November and those who would like to either bid or simply donate as much or as little as they like, can do so on Alan’s MyCharity.ie page

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