Former LOI Star Plays First GAA Game In 30 Years To Help Club To Derry Final

There was an unexpected inclusion in the Doire Trasna team for their Derry Junior Football Championship semi-final against Moneymore on Friday evening, with former League of Ireland goalkeeper Gerard Doherty named to start in the nets.

The Derry native had a lengthy professional soccer career, spending time in both England and Wales before having a decade long spell as no.1 at Derry City from 2008-2018. Doherty would hang up his gloves in 2023 after a stint with Cliftonville.

Now 44-years old, he would make his return to competitive action last night. However, it was in a code that he had not experienced in around three decades.

Gerard Doherty would start in goals for last night's semi-final, helping Doire Trasna to a 4-17 to 2-21 victory. He would pull off a couple of big saves over the course of the match, something that proved vital as his side ran out an winners by a two-point margin.

The former League of Ireland mainstay was a last minute addition to the team. Having originally committed to play a reserve game for the club earlier this week, he was drafted into the main team after its regular goalkeeper suffered an ankle injury.

Speaking to the Derry Journal after the final whistle, Doherty admitted that this was his first GAA game in around 30 years.

He hadn't played Gaelic football in 30 years, but where better for 44 year old former Derry City keeper Gerard Doherty to make his Doire Trasna debut than a Championship semi-final at Owenbeg - a remarkable night... @Doiregaa @derrycityfc @Micky_Tips @SimonCollins82 pic.twitter.com/maTrfDCYuM

— Derry Journal (@derryjournal) October 10, 2025

It was reserves that I was meant to play in on Monday night. When I agreed to play in that match, unluckily for me, one of my cousins was in the chat and is also the manager here too.

Unfortunately the keeper got an injury, his ankle is bad. They just asked me to play, so that was it...

When I was 14 (was the last time he played GAA)...

I thought my hip was going to pop out when my leg flew up, there's a wee bit of luck there...

I don't know yet (if he's available for the final), I'll have to check the dates.

The first thing I'm going to do is go and get a rule book and have a read through that, because there was a couple of times there when I didn't know what I was doing.

I thought wee Keelan, the umpire behind the net, would have given me a hand, but that wasn't happening.

Gerard Doherty now looks like to play in a junior county final over the coming weeks, capping off what already looks like a dramatic return to the GAA.

Adding a Derry county medal to his list of soccer achievement certainly would not be bad going for someone in their mid 40s.

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