Former Leinster out-half Ian McKinley admits he may not have grown up dreaming of playing rugby for Italy, but now that he has a chance he aims to grab it with both hands.
McKinley played for the province and Ireland’s Under-20s before he was forced to retire due to a training ground injury in 2011 which cost him the sight in his left eye.
He managed to revive his career thanks to a special pair of goggles that he wears in matches.
These goggles weren’t sanctioned under IRFU rules so McKinley ended up playing for Italian Pro12 side Treviso – and now he is on the verge of an international call-up.
"It has given me, without wanting to sound too dramatic, my life back. It’s a huge part of my identity as a person and as a rugby player," he explained, speaking to RTÉ Sport. "That’s not trying to be cheesy about it.
"When I was a kid playing rugby in the back garden I imagined standing and singing the Irish national anthem, but you have to play the hand that you’re dealt.
"Italy as a federation and through their clubs have always supported me and I can only be extremely grateful to them for that.
"They were one of the first nations to sign up to the goggles trial and I do feel I own them a lot of gratitude and loyalty because they’ve shown that to me – not a lot of other nations would have shown that to me."
McKinley is part of head coach Conor O’Shea’s extended 44-man squad for summer internationals against Scotland, Fiji and Australia. His next task is to make the 31-strong travelling party.
"I became eligible at the turn of the year, in January," he said. "I have lived in Italy for five years and I started playing with Treviso in May. I got my player’s licence in January 2014 so under World Rugby laws I am eligible to play for Italy.
"For me now it has to be about getting my performance right for me and the team. I have to put my best foot forward because if you don’t have consistency you can’t be called up for any team."
Former Ireland full-back Conor O’Shea led Italy in his first Six Nations campaign as Head Coach in 2017 and they struggled at times.
But according to McKinley the Azzurri are moving in the right direction and O’Shea is the right man for the job.
He said: "Things don’t just change in a matter of months – you need processes, the right people in the right places to make things work. The impact of Conor O’Shea has been there, and he is the right man for the job, but these things take time."
