Aidan Forker has played for Armagh for over ten years and is now also captain of the team.

The footballer has a long history in the sport, but his first love was not Gaelic.

He leads a busy life outside the football field: he is a devoted husband, father and assistant principal of a school.

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How old is Aidan and where is he from?

Aidan was born on 6th April 1992, which makes him 32 years old. He is originally from Maghery in County Armagh.

Sports career

Aidan is not only a talent on the football field, he also has a football background.

Although he has a soft spot for GAA, his greatest love was football, which is why he went on trial at Liverpool at the age of 14.

“I had a couple of trials and I was at Liverpool and was selected to go on trial for a week,” he told The Irish Sun.

“It was daunting. I found it hard because I was only 14, a bit of a homebody. I was probably a bit overwhelmed and it felt like boys were maybe a bit further ahead than me, I guess.

“It was a good experience, I got to meet the entire first team.

“We could watch from the balcony as they trained, got ready for a Champions League game or something. It was Melwood at that time.”

He continued: “My brother was in England at the time, he was playing for Preston North End, so he signed when he was 16, spent a few years there and eventually came back home.

“I could bounce off him a little bit when I was feeling a little weird. I was on my own, but you wouldn’t change it.

“It was a great experience, I met all the players from back then, the Gerrards and the Carraghers, Sami Hyypia played and Djibril Cisse was there. All good experiences and a good introduction to high-performance line-ups and it would have whetted my appetite a bit.

“It clearly didn’t work out. I’m lucky that I’ve played at an elite level for most of my life.”

What does Aidan’s daily work entail?

Aidan completed a degree in Physical Education, Religious Studies and Business Studies at St Patrick’s Academy Dungannon between 2004 and 2011.

He later attended St Mary’s University College, Queen’s University Belfast. He studied Primary School Teaching, specialising in Physical Education and Religion, graduating in 2015.

Today he works as deputy director.

Who is Aidan’s wife?

Aidan is in a long-term relationship with his wife Eimear. The couple first met in high school when they were just 14 and 15 years old.

They married in December 2019 in Maghery, County Donegal. Eimear looked stunning in a fitted, short-sleeved white dress, which she paired with a long veil. Aidan looked handsome in a black three-piece suit.

The couple have two children together, sons Leo and Ross.

He has a close-knit family, but in 2018 he had to miss his brother Stefan’s wedding due to championship matches.

The wedding took place in New York, but unfortunately the dates didn’t match.

“Family is my number one priority and if it gets too much or too difficult to deal with then we have a chat to see if it’s still feasible, but luckily Eimear supports me 100 per cent in everything I do and what it takes to try and stay at this level and hopefully continue for a while longer,” he previously told Evoke.

“I have a very understanding wife… She comes with me on this journey. She is my biggest supporter. The boys are always at all the games as well. It is definitely a family effort in terms of me being able to play for Armagh and captain Armagh.”