Letterkenny-based Celtic nut Johnny Foley will grace the hallowed Celtic Park sod this evening as he gets to line out in a fundraising match.
In March, Celtic captain Scott Brown attended an event at the Silver Tassie in aid of the same cause. On the night, Johnny successfully bid at the auction to get to turn out alongside some of his heroes in Glasgow.
The game is to raise money towards the Ability Counts programme, an initiative by the Celtic Foundation, and Johnny will now become the first Letterkenny man to play an officially recognised game at Celtic Park.
“Like every supporter, it’s the dream to pull on the jersey and the boots and play on the same pitch where so many of your heroes down through the years have played,” Johnny told Donegal Daily/Donegal Sport Hub.
“I’ve always been an avid reader of Celtic’s history because it’s a special one that’s not like any other clubs.
“And as much as football has changed since their foundation of the 1880s, their ethos of charity never has so being a Donegal playing on behalf of a great charity at home is what makes this even more special; if that were possible.”
Johnny will run out at Celtic Park alongside former Celtic players Tom Boyd, Stephen McManus, Simon Donnelly and Kris Commons.
The money donated by Johnny will go towards Donegal Down Syndrome as part of the Ability Counts / Celtic Foundation joint imitative, which started in Donegal this year.
Before he left for Glasgow, Johnny met with Donegal Down Syndrome and he was presented with a t-shirt by Tony McNamee, on behalf of DDS, and the Letterkenny No 1 Celtic Supporters Club, which he will wear underneath his jersey.
Johnny added: “A friend from when we lived in Edinburgh a few years ago and a clubmate, as a player and coach, at Dunedin Connolly, will be my special guest.”
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