League of Ireland great up for entrepreneur award with amazing life-after-football success

By Rory Kelly

It is often claimed that the end of a footballer’s career is the most difficult challenge they will face.

For example, in November 2015, the Sunday Times reported that dozens of retired players – including many household names – faced financial ruin as a result of investing in film schemes and property ventures during their careers. Bear in mind that this report was in relation to the multi-millionaires created in the English game. In Ireland, there are more realistic problems. In a league where 40-week contracts are virtually seen as the norm, domestic players were and are still obliged to go and source work for during the off-season to ensure mortgage repayments were met, and that there was some kind of income during the winter months. For former Derry City player Gareth McGlynn, this was no different. But instead of pursuing the immediate money and quick fix, McGlynn looked at the bigger picture and what would become of him when the football ended. After all, McGlynn had seen all there was to see in the League of Ireland since making his debut as a 17 year-old in 2000. He was part of the Derry City side that faced the might of PSG; lost the league on goal difference; won several cups. But he was also there when the club went into liquidation; and subsequently when Bohemians’ ship began to sink. So when in 2012, himself and his wife Ciara, a former Irish international footballer, took the decision to emigrate, it was to begin to prepare for life after football. Moving initially to Australia and then to New York, the couple began to forge their own careers in the recruitment industry. Ciara, a Business and Marketing graduate from Ulster University, was beginning to gain acclaim for her work – posting a $500,000 incoming revenue figure in just her second year in Australia. Off the back of this, she was transferred internally which resulted in her working with some of the biggest names in banking, including Goldman Sachs and Bank of America. Gareth meanwhile had taken a more aligned approach for a person with a degree in Engineering, opting for staffing consulting. But after the birth of their first-born daughter, the couple explored the idea of a move home, and in 2017, relocated to Donegal with a plan in mind. Combining their experience, the pair founded Niche Specialist Staffing Partners – an Irish-owned and based International Recruitment Firm. Driven by their qualities derived from their careers in football, a competitive edge, discipline and a joint appreciation of teamwork, the couple spotted a gap in the market and decided to bring the business home. Working out of their Co. Donegal office, they currently work with the top 10 per cent of Construction Estimators in North Carolina, solving the problem of an almost year-long wait for most companies to locate the right candidate, by providing such a service in just three months. Such has been the success of Niche SSP that it has already grown its workforce despite being in operation only 14 months, with a view to creating up to 15 jobs in Donegal within the next two years. The couple’s progress has also been recognised in their selection for the final of Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneur – due to be announced later this month. For years, he was praised as a creative midfielder, lauded for his ability to create opportunities for his team-mates. Nowadays, Gareth McGlynn, is planning on creating openings of his own. Something which all footballers on the island of Ireland, young and old, should think about doing.