Ten years on from making his debut for his hometown club, Sammie Szmodics still rates his time at Colchester United as his standout moment in football.
In the meantime, Szmodics has worked his way through the leagues, and a few clubs, arriving at Blackburn Rovers via Bristol City and Peterborough, kicked off by a loan move in the non-leagues with Braintree Town.
But that fulfilment of a schoolboy dream, growing up to play professional football in front of family and friends, with the beloved crest on your chest, looks set to be finally surpassed as an international debut looms for the in-form Ewood Park forward.
Szmodics is a late arrival onto the international scene as a 28-year-old, however, he has been part of the conversation over the past three years, missing out through injury, then personal reasons and finally manager preference.
But now the Championship's top scorer has returned to the Ireland squad, under interim manager John O’Shea, and looks likely to feature in one or both of the upcoming games against Belgium on Saturday and Switzerland next Tuesday.
"To this day, it's still family and friends who are Colchester fans, so to make my debut there and play 100 games is probably the best thing to happen in my career," said Szmodics, speaking at Tuesday’s press conference. "I scored some important goals in my career, but that's definitely my favourite, most important thing.
"Ultimately, the international debut would top that, it would be amazing, but for my dad and my family, who are from Ireland, it would be a massive thing for them."
Szmodics qualifies for Ireland through his late grandmother, Annette Hyne, who hailed from County Longford, and having delved through the paperwork, he secured his Irish passport, but has had to wait for his first shot at international football.
"My nan was County Longford," said Szmodics. "I didn't know much about it, and I didn't meet my nan. I knew she was Irish, but I didn't know how far down the line it is or how it works.
"It was only when I signed with new agents that we looked down that route, contacted them, it took a while, two or three years to sort out the passport, the birth and death certificates.
"That's all in the past now, it's all sorted, I have my Irish passport; leaving camps, not being called up to camps, I am fully focused now on this camp and beyond."
And when O’Shea came calling for these two games, the frontman said it was a no-brainer, and he admits that he is hungry for success in the green jersey.
"The last two squads I've been in, unfortunately, first one I was injured, second I had to go home for a personal reason," said Szmodics.
"I was disappointed because the personal reason was only over that October camp. It was something, family comes first I’m not going to speak about the issue. I had to go home, I had to get back.
"Obviously, you read Twitter and people question the fact if you wanted to play for Ireland, which again is ridiculous because it’s something I wanted to do when I was 23 or 24 and got my passport.
"That October camp, I had to get back for my family. Listen, disappointed for the November camp that I didn’t get the call but ultimately, it’s the manager’s decision and I thought I was doing enough at club level.
"But he chose to go with other people, the past is the past and I’ve got to focus on this camp and future camps, and I’ve got to take the opportunity with both hands.
"All is good now. Obviously got the phone call from John. It was a no-brainer for me, I am excited to get into camp and do a couple of days training and looking forward to the game at the weekend."
Szmodics also qualifies to play for Hungary through his grandfather, and while there were rumours of a continental declaration, he dismissed the suggestion, stating that his intentions were only aimed across the Irish Sea.
"Like I've said before, it was all nonsense really," said Szmodics. "My grandad was Hungarian, that's where the surname comes from. It is just something that never interested me.
"Their manager said I used that as a ploy to get in this squad which is not what happened at all. I am not really sure where it came from as I have never spoken to anyone from that country. I am not really sure where it has come from because I am fully focused on playing for Ireland."
Looking ahead to the weekend’s clash against Belgium, Szmodics’ versatility should work to his advantage with the manager previously speaking about the importance of such attributes.
And while Szmodics preference would be to just sit off the striker, he is willing to play wherever asked of him to help the national side get back to winning ways following a disappointing Euro 2024 campaign.
"Obviously, it’s up to John and the staff. I’ve done all I can at club level and there are some great names, some lads scoring goals, and like I’ve always said I feel like I can come in and do a job and help Ireland," said Szmodics.
"Everyone is always setting their standards high and we’re competing basically for them three front spots. And hopefully I’ve done enough and prove in training that if I don’t get a start, I get a good chunk of minutes."
"It would be the 10, the attacking midfield role," said Szmodics, when pushed for a favourite position. "Because I like going forward but I don't mind sticking my foot in and doing the defensive side of things as well."
Szmodics may not have been involved on the pitch throughout the previous manager’s tenure, however, he has been keeping a close eye on proceedings.
And with the squad anxious to develop a winning mentality, Szmodics feels that he is well placed to help kick-start this latest era in Irish football on the right foot.
"I’ve watched them. Obviously, the ones I’ve been involved in, in the camps, from the tactical side of things I’ve watched those games. I know the boys from club level and obviously from this level, so I do tune in and watch them.
"I think it’s just that we need to score more goals and create more chances, and hopefully I can help with that," he said, when asked why the team are struggling to get results.
"I’m doing it at club level. There are a lot of good players in that changing room and people who miss out on the squad, there are a lot of good technical players.
"I think we just need more of an attacking threat and you can see in the last two days of training that we’ve got a real clinical attacking presence up front."
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