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8th September 2021
04:20pm BST

"Imagine she committed to the pro game and Katie Taylor got a bad injury or retired for some reason. What happens then? What does Kellie do then?
"She's right to stay amateur, she can capitalise on what she's done, she can make a few bob, she's got a good head on her shoulders, she's very grounded and she has a great family around her. I'm delighted that she made the right decision."
On potentially emulating US icon Claressa Shields and the UK's Nicola Adams by winning back to back Olympic gold medals, Egan said it's possible.
The former 10-in-a-row Irish amateur champion said: "That's very elite company to be in. I think she can go out there and give a great account of herself and why not win gold for a second time? She has the opportunity to do that now."
Having operated in Taylor's shadows for many years as an amateur, back to back medals would elevate Harrington to greatness in her own right.
Egan said: "If she goes on and does this double, then Katie Taylor will still be Katie Taylor because she's on her own journey, but Kellie Harrington will be in a remarkable position in her own career."
Egan, who has battled alcohol addiction, explained why staying amateur was the right decision for him too.
He said: "The peace of mind I have now, I'm glad I never did it. I wasn't in my right mind when I came back from the Olympic games, of course with the drinking and the madness. I was on the verge of signing on the dotted line but I said to myself, 'I can't sign on the line for this fella because I'm selling him a dud'. I wasn't training right, my diet wasn't right, I was drinking too much. I'm glad I didn't because if I had signed on that line, that was it then, I was in contract for God knows how many years.
"I'm in a good place now, I'm quite content. I don't have to take digs anymore, the training camps, the getting up early, the diet, all of that. No, I have no regrets whatsoever."
* European Week of Sport is a week-long celebration of sport which promotes physical activity in people of all ages, background, or fitness levels. Sport Ireland is calling on you and your family to get out and #BeActive between the 23rd - 30th of September and who knows, this may be the start of a new found love for sport. For more information and to find an event near you, see www.sportireland.ie/