SPORTING PASSIONS KATIE TAYLOR:EVEN THOUGH, I suppose, I'm known more now for my boxing I actually started playing football long before I took up boxing, when I was around eight or nine, and I've always absolutely loved the game. It's been hard to keep the two going in recent years, but I just don't want to let football go. I love it too much.

My father played football, my two brothers a bit as well, we were just a sporting family, into all kinds of sport. So that’s how I got into it. I couldn’t miss! I was always outside playing on the street with the other kids, day in, day out.

The biggest thrill for me in the early days was being named Wicklow under-13 schoolboy player of the year. It was brilliant. I never had any problems playing with the boys, everyone in the Wicklow League knew who I was, I’d been playing since I was eight or nine, so they were well used to me.

They even extended the age group for me. Usually the girls weren’t allowed play with the boys after under-12, but because I was doing so well they extended it to under-13, and then under-14 – so I was able to play those extra years, which was brilliant for me.

I’ve always been a Leeds United fan, so everyone slags the life out of me over that. I’m struggling these days. Like Leeds. My Dad is from Leeds, so it’s his fault really, I had no choice.

I haven’t experienced too much happiness in the last couple of years, but I remember them being in the Champions League when they had a great side, when they were up there challenging for the Premiership. It’s hard to imagine now.

It’s just a pity the way it’s gone the last few years, such a big club as well to be where they are now. They’re still getting the support, crowds of over 30,000, it’s just sad to see what’s happened them.

But my favourite player growing up would have been Roy Keane. He was brilliant. For all the obvious reasons – his attitude, his will to win, his desire on the pitch, everything about him, he was an amazing player.

I have to have the same kind of attitude, really, I don’t think you’re going to win a world or European boxing title without it, without that dedication or desire to win. And you have to have that yourself, no one else can give it to you.

My preferred position in football, like Keane, was always central midfield, I just loved being in the middle of things. And no, opponents aren’t afraid of me at all – I wish they were!

If anything they’re going in harder on me, I don’t know why – but they don’t hold back.

I got offers to go over to some clubs in England when I was younger and I was offered a few scholarships in America too, so it was something I had to think about at the time. But thankfully I chose boxing and I’m delighted with it. It’s worked out well.

Even at that young age, much as I loved football, boxing was always in my heart, my number one sport. It can be a very lonely sport, though, you’re in the ring on your own, you’re training on your own, it’s just so intense.

But the football is a lot more relaxed, so I think it’s good for me. It’s great being around all the girls, there’s always a good atmosphere.

In some ways, then, football is almost a release for me at times. Whenever I have a game coming up, with the Irish team or my club (St Catherines), it’s always something to really look forward to.

Boxing and football fitness are completely different – even if I’m in great shape boxing-wise if I go in to a football match without having played a few games for a few months I’m actually knackered!

But the boxing gives me upper body strength, which definitely helps in the football, which makes me strong on the ball. The running can be the hard part, I struggle sometimes with that in football.

And jockeying and tackling players can take it out of you too, you’d be sore for a few days after a football match, you’d be in bits.

As I said, I’ve tried hard to keep them both going. I suppose the easy option would be to give up the football and concentrate fully on the boxing, but I just can’t do it.

Hopefully by the end of the year I’ll have a few weeks off from the boxing (after September’s European Championships in the Ukraine) and I’ll get a couple of international games in ahead of the World Cup qualifiers, but it’s up to the Republic of Ireland manager (Noel King) whether or not he wants to call me back in to the squad.

But no, I’m definitely not ruling the football out, I love playing for my country. And I love the game.