Proud mum of ex-pro footballer who left sport to protect mental health says he is “happier than ever”

The proud mum of an ex-professional footballer who stepped away from the sport to protect his mental health says he is “happier than ever” after welcoming a baby daughter at Christmas.

19-year-old Ben Curtis from Navan shocked the Irish footballing world when he made the brave move to leave his role as a talented defender with Drogheda Utd due to suffering with his mental health.

In an inspirational social media post last year Ben revealed that he had sought help comparing the anguish he was experiencing to” heavy metal chains wrapped around my neck holding me down and keeping me from moving.”

In the frank post, Ben, a former St Patrick’s Athletic and Shamrock Rovers player encouraged others suffering to seek help stating “Mental health is a silent killer and you should never be afraid to speak up and get help, you’re not alone.”

It seems a lot can change in a few months as Ben and his fiancee, Holly Geraghty welcomed a baby daughter, Kaia into the world in December with the new dad said to taking to fatherhood “like a duck to water.”

“Ben is super talented but the best thing he ever did was leave football behind,” said Lisa Curtis who became a grandmother at the age of 39!

“He is so much happier now and is the best dad to Kaia. He is amazing with her, things just work out the way they are supposed to,” she added.

“My husband Darren and I are so proud of Ben for being brave enough to speak out and be honest with how he was feeling.

“He is nearly a year out of football and it took him a couple of months to figure out where he belonged because football was his life, his hobby and his full time job since he was 16.

“When he left, Holly his partner was pregnant and he knew that he had to be the best dad possible. That was his biggest reason for walking away from football.

“When he told us Holly was pregnant and they were both so young it was a big shock because you want your kids to live life and travel and fulfil of their dreams but as the months went on I began to believe that Kaia was sent to us for a reason and now that he is the happiest I have ever seen him I think she had a purpose.

“We are absolutely besotted with her and she is after bringing so much love and joy to the house.”

Ben now plays a vital role in the running of Lisa's business Esme Hair Salon in Navan.

“He’s now our social media manager, he runs reception, he deals with the clients and he is part of the sales team with the new hair extension business Esmara and he is absolutely thriving,” said Lisa also mum to Max, Cole and Esme.

It was an eventful few weeks for Lisa who turned 40, welcomed her first grandchild and had her son sign for a premier league team aged 18.

Republic of Ireland Under-21 international Sam Curtis signed a dream contract with Sheffield United until the end of 2026-27. The talented teen also picked up the Meath Chronicle ‘Young Sports Person of the Year’ award earlier this month.

“It’s a dream come true for most boys but for him he always envisioned himself here so for him it’s all slotting into place,” said Lisa.

“For me as his mother it’s surreal, but for him it’s like this was my plan,” she added.

“Being in the club boardroom at Sheffield signing the contract was like an out of body experience, I felt like I was looking down on myself, it was so bizarre.

“When we met the manager Chris Wilder I stood up to shake his hand and he put my hand down and gave me a big hug and said we’ll look after your boy. Everybody in the club was so welcoming and very humble.

“He has two goals for this year to make his debut for Ireland at 18 and he wants to make his debut in the Premier league at 18 and I have no doubt he’ll achieve them both.”

The young footballer will soon be playing opposite players he once had pinned on his bedroom wall as Lisa explains:

“My whole family are Arsenal supporters and Sheffield Utd play Arsenal in early March, Sam will hopefully definitely make the bench for that game, if he doesn’t he will be sitting with the subs watching his team play Arsenal who he has watched on the TV growing up with Darren and the kids,” she said.

Lisa's husband who coached the Parkvilla team that Ben and Sam played with made it his mission in life to help his children reach their full potential in the world of football.

“Darren lived and breathed it to a point where we wouldn’t go on holidays unless Parkvilla were on a break and he would never cancel training, he was so dedicated,” remembers Lisa.

“When Sam was 10 and Ben was nearly 12, Darren came home to me and said I think If I need to push these on further they are going to have to go to Dublin which means I have to step away from being manager because it is going to be a full-time job for me bringing them up and down.”

Although Sam's recent signing is the stuff of dreams, Lisa is adamant his feet will remain firmly on the ground.

“The biggest thing for me is no matter where he goes and what kind of contracts he signs and what kind of life he has that he remembers to be humble and remembers where he comes from and always has a great relationship with his family. And he will always come home to a normal house.”