Rhys Walsh used to box for St John Bosco before dedicating his life to football
Young Northern Ireland footballer Rhys Walsh is quickly making a name for himself at Sunderland, but he could easily have been a big star in the world of boxing.
The 17-year-old joined the Black Cats for an undisclosed fee after impressing at the Oval, the youngster agreeing a two-and-a-half-year contract with the English Championship side. "I remember three years in a row he got seven gold medals out of seven at his school sports day. And then he got boxer of the night after that fight, but his daddy took him out because Rhys was so good at football and that was the career path he chose."But our Rhys could have been a brilliant boxer. He is arguably the best kid I ever saw at that age. He was about eight or nine at the time and was a member of St John Bosco.
"His daddy was taking him to Glentoran twice a week and Rhys was also involved with the Northern Ireland underage teams. Rhys would have had a match on the Saturday, and maybe another academy trip on top of that," Dee said. "His friends are also with clubs across the water, so he has kept good company with people who have similar ambitions and dreams.
Dee added: "The world is his oyster. Nowadays clubs don't just look for talent. It's speed, endurance, things like that. And staying injury-free. And Rhys has been clocking up some incredible figures since joining Sunderland.
Glentoran FC Boxing Sunderland AFC
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