Darragh Horkan travels to the FIBA U18 EuroBasket Division B in Romania not as a starter but as a vice-captain, and the choice tells you something about him.
Ireland's Under-18 Men have named the former Limerick Lions player as vice-captain for the tournament in Pitesti. He will not take the court, still working back from a wrist injury picked up last season. The selection happened anyway.
That is the part to sit with. A coaching staff naming an injured player as one of their leaders is a clear statement of how much they value him beyond his minutes. Some players hold a group together with their game. Others do it with their voice and their standards. Horkan is being asked to do the second, and a vice-captain's armband is not handed out lightly.
He has not pretended the injury is easy to take. He wanted to play, and the disappointment is real. Instead he will lead from off the court, steadying teammates and giving everything he can from the sideline through every game.
Horkan came up through the Limerick Lions, and there is real pride in seeing one of our own trusted with that on a stage like this. Everyone at the club will be following the Irish squad closely in Pitesti. We wish Darragh and the whole team well, and we hope that wrist heals fully and soon.
He will lead from off the court, supporting his teammates through every game.
Limerick Lions