Crowds spilled out the doors of a church in Glengormley on Easter Monday as hundreds said farewell to Aodhán Gillen, described by his father as "talented, dedicated, humble, sincere and fun".
Aodhán (22) died just over three weeks after he was struck by a vehicle near his home on the Hightown Road.
As well as his devastated family and teammates, he also left behind his partner Laura Maxwell who said she was “just completely
heartbroken”.
The gifted young soccer player was laid to rest following a service at St Bernard's Church on Antrim Road.
His father Michael thanked the many people who have supported the family over the last few weeks since Aodhán was knocked down on March 17 and after he lost his fight for life last week.
Among those attending the funeral Mass in a "fantastic show of support" were representatives from the clubs he played for during his career.
The last number of weeks has also revealed the "overwhelming power" of community as people in the Mayfield and Glengormley areas rallied around the family.
His father Michael also thanked staff at the Royal Victoria Hospital and the emergency services who had cared for Aodhán.
Talented, dedicated, humble, sincere and fun," Mr Gillen said of his son.
He described how he always challenged his son ahead of games, telling him to "get down the wing more often, demand the ball, shoot more often".
But father and son also had many conversations about life and about faith. He described one about three months before as he asked his son what he was doing to prepare for heaven in 70 years' time.
Aodhán promised to do more to prepare for what he described to his father as the "most important journey".
Fr Aidan Kerr noted the young man had a "wide outreach" with many friends in Ireland and other parts of the world. The number of mourners was so large that many listened outside the church during the service.
He described how Aodhán received his early schooling in Carrickfegus before switching to Edmund Rice for his GSCEs and A-Levels. He then gained a higher national diploma in filming and editing at Belfast Met.
But as a footballer Aodhán was "legendary", first making his mark aged just seven when he joined Cliftonville Academy.
His father said he "loved" playing for Newington, scoring the winning goal in the Steel and Sons Cup Final in Christmas 2021 and helping them win the Premier Intermediate League and promotion to the Championship.
He signed his first professional contract with Carrick Rangers before being loaned out to Dundela in January.
But Fr Kerr said he also loved playing golf and working out in the gym. He planned to use his film editing and movie making qualifications as a back up to his football career. He was a supervisor at the Range furniture store in Glengormley .
"He was a young man who seemed to have the world at his feet. He was considerate, caring and kind," Fr Kerr said.
He was a quiet young man, Fr Kerr added, except when he belted out Coldplay's 'Vida La Vida' at karaoke nights.
One of his legacies will be the inspiration he has given others "seeds sown (that) will continue to blossom for good in the years ahead", Fr Kerr said.
Aodhán is survived by Michael, mother Margaret and siblings Eoin, Cian and Corin.
