A CORK student has enlisted an English soccer heavyweight to help her win election to a university students union.
22-year-old Sophie O’Sullivan is currently in the running for the role of Entertainments Officer at University College Cork.
She’s pulling out the big guns to get over the finish line too after sharing a message of support from one-time England manager Sam Allardyce.
Allardyce may have spent the majority of his playing and coaching career over in England but he actually got his big managerial break over in Ireland.
Big Sam first job in management came over in Ireland with Limerick FC, who recruited him as player-manager for the 1991-92 season.
He guided Limerick to promotion into the League of Ireland Premier Division, winning the League of Ireland First Division before returning to England to take up a coaching role with Preston.
Allardyce made plenty of friends during his time in Limerick including John O’Sullivan – Sophie’s dad – who was a coach for the Cork City schoolboys’ team.
The pair have been firm friends ever since, with Sam and John in regular contact in the years that have followed. So, when it came time to enlisting someone to endorse her campaign, Sophie could think of no one better.
“I'm running for Entertainments Officer and my whole aesthetic is quite pink,” she told the Irish Mirror.
"I thought it came across too girlish, so I said to my dad, 'Is there any chance you could get on to Sam Allardyce?'.
"I figured he probably won't do it because he's a huge football star, but we got on to him last week and he sent the video back, so it's already got a lot of traction.
The video has gained plenty of traction online, but Sophie is taking nothing for granted.
"I'm happy with it but I wouldn't get complacent as my opposition is quite strong,” she told the Irish Mirror.
"It has definitely helped to get the word around though, there's been a lot of people sharing it, people that I wouldn't even know, so hopefully that's helped."
Sophie will owe Big Sam a pint of wine or two if she does come through, of course.
