KEVIN EGAN can lay claim to being a dear friend of Lionel Messi - until the all-time great says otherwise. The Dubliner was shooting content for MLS 360 - the Major League Soccer show he hosts on Apple TV - when Messi's Inter Miami met New York City in September 2024. The Barcelona legend was making his way onto the pitch alongside his teammates when he spotted Egan nearby. Perhaps he was caught in a good mood, perhaps he sensed the Irishman's friendly disposition, or perhaps he recognised him from his past work at El Clasico derbies with beIN Sport. Whatever the reason, Messi gave Egan a wink and a fist bump, giving him a career highlight to rival so many others. Asked if there was a budding relationship, he laughed: "No, I'm just a fan of the beautiful game. "I was lucky enough to host El Clasico, like Ronaldo versus Messi, BBC [Benzema, Bale, Cristiano] versus MSN [Messi, Suarez, Neymar] in the great years of Real Madrid vs Barcelona for beIN. "I was lucky enough to see Messi play live a good few times and we were there because I host MLS 360. "Myself and my friend, Sacha Kljestan, former US international, we said we'd go out and just do a little bit of content for the show there. "Maybe he's seen my face on Apple TV with MLS or something, I don't know, but he gave me a little wink and a little fist bump." Egan has been eye witness to the MLS being gripped by Messi mania since he joined the David Beckham-run Inter Miami from PSG in 2023. The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner has scored 42 goals in 49 appearances since moving stateside, and was named MLS MVP in 2024. His arrival led to fellow Barca alumni Jordi Alba, Luis Suarez, and Sergio Buschets joining the club, while Javier Mascherano is head coach. Egan's own son James, who was born in Miami, is a purported fan of Inter, although he also owns jerseys of Atlanta United - the club closest to his dad's heart. Ironically, Atlanta beat Messi and co. in the play-offs last season in what Egan deems "the greatest upset in MLS history". He added: "You always hear the retirement league chatter. "That was the case for [Steven] Gerrard. It was the case for [Andrea] Pirlo. It was the case for [Frank] Lampard. Maybe some will highlight Olivier Giroud's struggles this year. "It's not that he just plays. He's so invested in helping his teammates. "If anybody in Ireland ever gets a chance to give it a watch, because it's global with Apple TV - my dad and mum watch all the time in Raheny - he's made the younger players much better. "In Major League Soccer, you can pick from the college draft. There's a young draft pick that I wouldn't be surprised if he gets a major move to Europe soon and maybe goes on to represent Italy at some point. "That's Yannick Bright. He's been that good in midfield alongside Busquets." IRISH ROOTS Kevin Egan is originally from Raheny in Dublin, and played gaelic football for the same club as Capital legend Brian Fenton. His dad, Liam, was a member of Kevin Heffernan's Dublin teams that battled Mick O'Dwyer's all-conquering Kerry in the 1970s. It was no surprise, then, that Egan's dream was to play for his county, only for a torn ACL at 19 years of age to put paid to that pathway. At that point, he turned to media, and studied TV and journalism in Griffith College before he got a job as a runner for RTE. It was during those days that Egan got to interact with the likes of the late Bill O'Herlihy, as well as Liam Brady, Johnny Giles, and Eamon Dunphy. He said; "You had a chance to go into the green room and sit with Bill O'Herlihy, Eamon, Liam, Johnny and give them their tea and coffee. "It's not a secret, but that maybe world-class basic, if you could say that, that we can all have, can then translate to being in a WWE locker room with Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton." "You make a good cup of tea, they might like it, they might one day say to you, 'hey, so what do you want to do when you're older?' And that's when you need to have your answer ready to go." Working alongside the legendary RTE soccer punditry quartet also deepened his own knowledge of the game. Egan explained: "It was the best, it was the absolute best. "I'd sit with Johnny Giles and I'd shot-list a game. In other words, let's say it's back in the day, Gerrard takes a shot, hits the crossbar. "I'm like, 'right in the 20th minute, Gerrard strike, edge of the 18, hits crossbar' and I'd give it a ranking out of five, so that it'll make the highlights. "He'd be pointing things out to me about players. One of the memories that stood out to me the most was when he looked at me and he said, this kid Fabregas has it, and Fabregas was like 16. "He said, 'look how he's scanning his shoulder all the time. Look at how he's looking for pockets of space. Look at how he never turns his back to the ball.' "He says, 'now watch Gerrard, turning his back to the ball again. He's not looking over here'. "I remember thinking, that's genius. Like these are the little intricate details that a person at Johnny Giles' level sees and understands, especially in the position he was as a footballer." AMERICAN DREAM Seeking career advancement, and aided by his mum being from Chicago, Egan emigrated to America in 2009. In the 16 years that have since lapsed, he was worked with CNN, ESPN, beIN Sport, WWE, and Apple TV. But that time at RTE among personalities like Dunphy and co prepared him for the different figures he would meet in the US. He reasoned: "I think if you were that sponge and if you showed them the respect that they absolutely deserved, and love for the industry and love for the game of football, they let you in a little bit. "It's not a secret, but that maybe world-class basic, if you could say that, that we can all have, can then translate to being in a WWE locker room with Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton." It took him a while to get his foot in the door stateside. While his knowledge of soccer, gaelic football, hurling, and others could get him so far in Ireland, the USA was a whole new world. He eventually got a job with the Fox Sports College station before transitioning to matchday commentary with the Big Ten Network in 2012. That parlayed into work as a commentator for the Chicago Fire, as well as Atlanta United with Fox Sports. In March 2021, meanwhile, he got a call to audition for an on-air personality role for the WWE. "I got a phone call asking me would I be interested in auditioning and it was stunning. "I was never a WWE fan growing up. It was never out of disdain for it, I just never got into it. "I was busy when people were watching Raw. "I was probably obsessing over the Dubs, or a Premier League title race, or an El Clasico between Zidane and Ronaldinho while it seemed everyone else in my class was loving Monday Night Raw." "If you have solid relationships with people whom you can call your family and friends, that is success, more than anything." While he was initially a backstage interviewer, Egan - then going by Kevin Patrick - was eventually promoted to lead play-by-play commentator on Monday Night Raw and Friday Night Smackdown. In October 2023, he made history alongside Englishman Wade Barrett by being the first Raw commentary team not to feature an North American voice. Egan added: "I gained an awful lot of friends over time. "From [Michael] Cole to [Corey] Graves to working with Wade Barrett was amazing. "I remember we had a Guinness after the show, and it was cheers to the Euro team for this one-off when I was filling in for Michael Cole. "Edge became a friend, [Montel Vontavious Porter], Bobby Lashley, Drew McIntyre. "On the female side, Becky [Lynch] is still a very close friend that I'm in touch with. And Sheamus is a great friend as well, Finn [Balor] too. "Sheamus, Finn and Becky did really become my best pals in there." Eventually, though, the gruelling schedule took its toll and, not wanting to spend any more time from his kids, he left WWE in 2024. Since February 2023, the Irishman has hosted MLS 360 alongside the likes of Sacha Kljestan and Bradley Wright-Phillips - son of Arsenal legend Ian Wright. The trio visited Ireland in January, with former clubmate Brian Fenton bringing them on a tour of Croke Park. They have also been to the North London Derby between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur as guests of Thierry Henry. The next few years will be busy, with the Club World Cup taking place in America this year, followed by the FIFA World Cup in 2026 in the US, Canada, and Mexico. But Egan is more focused with living in the here and now, concluding: "I'm so happy in life right now. "I feel so lucky with a wife, two healthy kids. We love our home. I love my job. "I'm 40 in May and I've just learned that happiness is everything. "If you have solid relationships with people whom you can call your family and friends, that is success, more than anything."