KIAN TO GET GOING

Saints ace Leavy chuffed injury nightmare is over

- BY GARRY DOYLE

KIAN Leavy has torn his ACL, broken his leg, suffered two stress fractures to his back and needed an operation to mend a damaged ankle.

So, don't talk to him about the stress of playing a big match tonight when he has endured the trauma of not being able to play at all.

All in, Leavy missed 30 months — or two-and-a-half years — of his professional career with injury. Remember he's only 23.

That's why he isn't panicky about appearing in front of a live TV audience and a packed Turner's Cross this evening.

Instead he's viewing this game as an opportunity to show people what he can do.

And that's plenty. The Star's football columnist, Pat Dolan, reckons the St Pat's playmaker is good enough to play for Ireland.

Leavy, meanwhile, is happy just to be playing at all.