‘What can I say about Kobe?’: Teen’s dream Mayo debut was no surprise to under-20s boss

Keith Higgins was at home with his two young children on Sunday when the most famous teenager in Mayo football came of age. Kobe McDonald had arrived.

Higgins is manager of the Mayo under-20s and will have McDonald available to him when the Dalata Under-20 Championship throws in next month. Having spent most of Saturday away from home at a challenge game, Higgins was on parenting duty the following afternoon when McDonald threatened to break the internet.

The influx of messages appearing on his phone was the first indication to Higgins that something was afoot.

“I was like, ‘oh no, what’s after happening here?’. I had to go on Twitter straight away and I just seen 1-1,” says Higgins with a smile.

“I was like, ‘right, I know what’s going on now’. Yeah, it’s funny when you’re looking after a three-year-old and a 20-month-old, football sometimes goes out the window, you don’t get first choice of what’s on the television.

“I did have a bit of a giggle all right. I was like, ‘of course he had to announce himself in a special way’. You can always go down the route and say it could be an awful thing and it could build up the hype even more. But sure what harm – if the guy’s good, he’s good. Just let him at it and see what happens.”

McDonald came off the bench against Monaghan in Clones on Sunday and marked his senior debut with a personal haul of 1-4. His potential has been known for quite some time but only the most bullish might have predicted the 18-year-old Leaving Cert student would mark his bow in such stunning fashion.

“Andy [Moran] tried to play down the hype for the last couple of months and all of a sudden he comes on and hits 1-4 in 20 minutes,” jokes Higgins.

“Look, what can I say about Kobe? Everyone has known he’s a phenomenal talent but you just have to realise the lad literally turned 18 in December. He’s really young.

“At that age, you have to let lads go and play a bit of schools football as well and let them enjoy themselves. And you can kind of see even from the celebration [last Sunday], he’s enjoying it.

“I think that’s what you want to see from him at that age, don’t be putting too much structure or too much pressure, saying ‘you have to make this run, you have to do that’.

[ Kobe McDonald makes statement Mayo debut: Five things we learned from the weekend’s GAAOpens in new window ]

“There’s no point trying to tie him down. Just let him go and let him off and let the shackles off and see what happens.”

Higgins captained Mayo to an All-Ireland under-21 title in 2006 and was named Young Footballer of the Year later that same season, so he is perfectly placed to help McDonald through this period of his development.

But the kicker for Mayo fans is that McDonald has signed for AFL outfit St Kilda, so it’s possible this will be the Crossmolina man’s one and only season in the green and red.

Higgins and senior boss Moran, two former county teammates, have agreed the likes of McDonald and Darragh Beirne will be given the freedom to focus on the Under-20 Championship when it begins – the All-Ireland final is scheduled for mid-May.

Higgins, who announced his intercounty football retirement in early 2021, played alongside Kobe’s dad, Ciarán, for three seasons.

“It’s funny, when I came in Ciarán Mac was the god and the idol. I remember at a training camp over in Portugal, he gave me a pair of boots and I thought this was the greatest thing ever.

“Now, all of a sudden, I’m dealing with his young fella. It’s funny how these things turn around.

“I think he’s a very different player. Even though Ciarán was really deceptively strong for a guy his size, I think Kobe’s obviously more of a runner.

“You see the goal he got the last day, once he got the ball, he just took off. Whereas Ciarán Mac was just more of a footballer on the ball, if that makes sense. I think there’s a bit more athleticism to Kobe.”

As for what the future holds, Higgins feels the best plan is to focus on the here and now.

“He could go out [to Australia] in six months, it might not be for him and he could be back home,” he adds.

“Or he could have five or six great years and comes home, he’s still 24 years of age. You just don’t know.

“Again, without being boring or repeating the same line as Andy, we just make the most of it while we have him and enjoy him while we have him, whether that’s with the seniors or the 20s.”

– Higgins was speaking at confirmation of the Dalata Hotel Group entering a second year as sponsor of the Under-20 Football Championship through its ‘For Difference Makers’ campaign.

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