As the saying goes, home is where the heart is and for former Republic of Ireland international Greg Cunningham, it was always going to be a case of Galway calling.
Seventeen years after the Mervue United graduate signed for Manchester City to kickstart a long stint in the English game, the 34-year-old returned to his home county last July to join Galway United and add the SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division side to a CV that already read Leicester, Nottingham Forest, Bristol City, Cardiff City, Blackburn Rovers and Preston North End.
The latter club would mark Cunningham's final staging post in England between 2021 and June 2024. But the chance to move to Galway United had already been brewing in the background, as manager John Caulfield told RTÉ Sport at Wednesday's launch of the new League of Ireland season.
"The conversation happened probably 12 months before that because he is a Galway lad, his wife is from Galway and the view was that he was looking at coming home at some point and it was trying to get him to come home as soon as possible," said Caulfield of a player who has already assumed the captain's armband.
Cunningham had the second half of last season to acquaint himself with the LOI and life back out west and he couldn't be happier with his decision as he prepares for his first full campaign at Eamonn Deacy Park during 2025.
"I've settled in nicely. From a personal point of view, it's great to be back, family is enjoying life in Galway again after being away for so long and on the football front it's been a breathe of fresh air. I'm enjoying the challenges and the adventure we're having at Galway United," he told RTÉ Sport at the launch in Dublin's Mansion House.
"I've got two kids now and I suppose you have to have that eye on what's best for the family. It just aligned perfectly.
"I spoke to John and the way it finished up at Preston, I thought it was a perfect time to come home while I still have some legs in me and just give as much as I can for my hometown club and try to progress them as much as I can. I've enjoyed every minute of it and I'm looking forward to it now with it being the first full season I have in the League of Ireland and where we can take the club."
Galway United fared well last season - their first back in the top flight since promotion - with a fifth-placed finish underpinned by the second best defensive record in the Premier.
Allied to that, the burgeoning level of interest in the Tribesmen and the league as a whole is a crest of a wave that Cunningham has been enjoying surfing.
"There's a lot more coverage along with th advancement with social media so the League of Ireland is in a great place and it's moving forward nicely and we just want to keep that momentum going," he said.
Another wave that has swelled during this century has been the increasing prominence of Galwegian footballers at the highest level with the likes of Cunningham, David Forde, Daryl Horgan, Ryan Manning, and Aaron Connolly among those to have won senior international caps.
Cunningham, like his manager, is keen to see Galway tap into the local talent base over the longer-term.
"When I was coming through it was definitely the east of the country that was getting most of the look-in at players going abroad," said Cunningham.
"I've said it before but unless you could get to the latter stages of tournaments in the country, you're not getting that much of a look-in.
"But it's opening up now for the rest of the country and I've said it before, there's so much talent in the west of Ireland.
"Obviously, being from Galway I can see that now since I've been in at home and it's just about being able to showcase what these players can do and getting the chance to progress, whether that's through the academies, into the underage international set-up and then potentially across the water if that's what comes."
And while Cunningham has zero plans to hang up his boots anytime soon, someday in the future he could see himself playing a role in helping to channel the hotbed of talent in Galway in the right direction.
"Football's my life and I want to stay in it as much as I can. I want to play as much and as long as I can," he said.
"So until the legs and the body tell me otherwise, I'll keep doing that and then when that comes, I've got my A licence, so I do have an eye on coaching when I do finish up.
"I'll tackle that when the time comes but with regards to my experiences over my career, if I can enhance or improve any of the boys or give any advice to the young lads then I'm all for it."
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