His talent was never in doubt, but Leeds thought he was too short to
make the grade and released him from his contract.

But Nicky still loves the game and plays whenever he can.

The Academy caught up with him at the recent Soccer Six tournament to
get his football chat.

Sport Academy: What's better - playing for Leeds or being in
Westlife?
Nicky Byrne: I love them both, but as I made it big with Westlife I
guess that's been the best experience.
Looking back, I don't think I'd change anything, but if it was
possible to be a footballer and a pop star, I'd happily do them both.
It would be great to live the footballer's life - even if it was just
for a day!

SA: Do you like to get stuck in at events like Soccer Six? How fierce
is the competition between Westlife and the other bands?
NB: It's competitive, but always fair. Hard tackles do go in and
sometimes they can be mis-timed, but that's why the referee's there.
There's never anything malicious, after all we're all here for the
same reason - to enjoy ourselves and make money for charity.

SA: What would be your top tips for anyone who wants to make it as a
pro?
NB: For me, it's all about mental toughness. Managers will always try
and test you to see how tough you are.
The best advice I could give is work your socks off and prove you
have the right attitude to go with your talent.
It doesn't matter how much talent you have - you're nothing until
you've proved yourself.

Nicky Byrne factfile
Born: 9 October 1978, Dublin
Height: 5ft 9in
Role in band: The solid, sensible one
Favourite football team: Manchester United

STAR TIP::
Nicky Byrne:
You are what you eat - if you don't eat well you won't put in your
best performance