Karl Lacey

Karl Lacey (born 10 September 1984) is an Irish Gaelic football coach, manager and former player for Four Masters and the Donegal county team.

Lacey captained Donegal to the 2002 All-Ireland Vocational Schools Football Championship, overcoming Kerry in the final.

At college level, he won three Sigerson Cup medals, one with UUJ and two with Sligo IT.

Much of Lacey's inter-county success came in his middle and later years.

With his club Four Masters, Lacey won the 2003 Donegal Senior Football Championship.

He scored two second-half points in the final against Termon.

He has won one SFC, one U21FC and two MFC medals with his club.

He was first called up to the senior team by Brian McEniff for winter training in 2003.

Lacey put together a run of 41 consecutive championship appearances between the 2004 Ulster semi-final against Tyrone and 2013 Ulster quarter-final against Tyrone before injury broke his run.

He made a total of 148 inter-county appearances.

65 were Championship appearances, a record he shares with Donegal teammate Christy Toye.

A substitute appearance against Antrim brought him his debut in 2004 under the management of McEniff.

His county's most decorated individual player, his personal achievements include four All Star awards—in 2006, 2009, 2011 and 2012— and the 2012 GAA/GPA Footballer of the Year.

His other accolades include an All-Ireland Senior Football Championship title, three Ulster Senior Football Championship titles, a National Football League title, a Dr McKenna Cup, a Donegal Senior Football Championship title and three Sigerson Cups.

Lacey played in the 2006 Ulster Senior Football Championship Final at Croke Park.

Lacey was part of the Donegal team that won its first National League title in 2007 in the final against Mayo.

He went travelling abroad and missed the 2009 National Football League but was due to return for the 2009 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship.

The 2011 season began Donegal's renaissance under Jim McGuinness, an era for Lacey which coincided with his late career.

Not only did he receive an All Star award and Ulster Championship medal in 2011, but Lacey also put in a number of great displays and usually kept each opponents danger man quiet while collecting a few scores himself.

In the semi-final of the Ulster Championship, Lacey was deployed on Tyrone's in-form player, Brian McGuigan.

Lacey excelled and kept McGuigan from having any real say in the game.

Not only did he display his defensive qualities but he also showed his attacking side when he provided an assist for Colm McFadden's goal through a surging run from deep.

He also set up the winning goal coming from Dermot Molloy which left the final score at 2–06 to 0–09.

In the final they faced a strong Derry side, on-form after a huge win over Armagh.

This time Lacey was deployed on another danger man, Mark Lynch.

Donegal lifted their first Ulster Championship title in a number of years.

Lacery received an All Star award and the Ulster Footballer of The Year Award.

He went off injured at half-time in the 2012 Donegal Senior Football Championship semi-final against Naomh Conaill—and Four Masters lost.

By kitting out for the 2012 Ulster Senior Football Championship Final, which his team won, Lacey made his 37th successive appearance for Donegal, beating the previous record set by Michael Hegarty.

On 5 August 2012, Lacey surged up the pitch and scored the point that sealed Donegal's comprehensive victory over Kerry in the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship quarter-final at Croke Park.

On 23 September 2012, he delivered a high ball towards team captain Michael Murphy who smashed the ball into the Mayo net after three minutes of the 2012 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final.

He was also in possession at the final whistle and sent the ball clattering into the crowd with glee.

Told he would be awarded the 2012 GAA/GPA Footballer of the Year, he was in his car and nearly crashed.

In 2015, his club was relegated to Division 2 of the Donegal League in a play-off lost to Réalt na Mara.

Known as a versatile defender and one of the best half-backs in Ireland, Lacey was able to play anywhere in the back six until his retirement from Donegal in 2017.

He was a consistent performer and never far away from another All Star nomination.

However, his doctor complained that Lacey was "flogged to the point of breakdown".

Lacey's haul of Ulster SFC titles was a joint county team record (alongside such past players as Anthony Molloy, Martin McHugh, Joyce McMullan and Donal Reid) for four years until Patrick McBrearty, Neil McGee, Paddy McGrath, Leo McLoone, Frank McGlynn, Michael Murphy and Anthony Thompson surpassed it in 2018.

Considered very influential by many young footballers, Lacey was often spotted zipping around the field in his trademark white boots and white thermal shorts, and also dedicated time to voluntary work in aid of charitable organisations.

Lacey's choice of shorts has been known to cause puzzlement among fans.