When FC Naples brought its team together last season, it marked the first time many of the players met each other. Among them were midfielder Kevin O’Connor and goalie Luca Fitzgerald, both hailing from Ireland. However, they soon discovered their paths had crossed a decade earlier.
Fitzgerald recognized O’Connor immediately upon joining the FC Naples squad.
“I remember in the open tryout I saw Kev briefly and I was like we’re both from Ireland so we had a quick chat,” said Fitzgerald. “And then I saw one of announcements of Kev signing, and I’m like there’s no way.”
Fitzgerald’s excitement stemmed from having watched O’Connor play back home as a kid.
“Now he’s trying to score on me in practice,” Fitzgerald said. “It’s just like, if you would’ve told me back then there’s no way Kev’s going to be shooting on me in Naples, Florida.”
The pair’s first meeting actually occurred 10 years ago when a 10-year-old Fitzgerald got a picture with O’Connor after one of his matches in Cork.
“He grew up a bit we can say that from then,” O’Connor said.