The Dubliner has enjoyed a career at the top of Irish amateur boxing since winning his first senior title, at middleweight in 2001.
That run came to a shuddering halt in February when Joe Ward, 17, took his light-heavyweight crown.
It will be Ward who boards the plane for Turkey this week for the European Championships, Ward who represents his country at 81kg.
But Egan, who bagged silver at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, has told the Moate teenager that it will be he who makes it to next year's Games in England's capital.
In an interview with Seconds Out, the Neilstown clubman also revealed that:
- He will NOT be going professional
- He wants to release a book 'to inspire other athletes' - and also tell of 'the madness' of being Kenny Egan
- The High Performance set-up gave him a purpose in boxing
- He sees his future in coaching the Ireland side
But despite dreams of passing on his knowledge and moving to the corner of the ring, Egan is clear that he is by no means finished.
In fact, he does not even reckon he is the finished article at 29.
Egan said: "My time’s not up, not at all. OK I got beaten in the Seniors but that’s this year, I can’t turn back the clock - it’s done.
"Joe can go to the Europeans, he deserves it. We’ll sit down then when they get back, the whole team will get together. There will be box-offs in August ahead of the World Championships. And they are also Olympic qualifiers.
"I hope Joe gets a medal. I wouldn’t diss anyone, it’s just another competition. He’s part of it, I’m not - I wish the whole team the best of luck. They’re a great bunch of lads - even Joe - and in the last European Championships we came second on the medals’ table with gold silver and three bronze behind Russia."
But for now, Egan is 'mentally and physically drained' and the chance to recharge the batteries will do him no harm. The Dubliner, a reformed alcoholic, went to Florida last year as Ireland's first entrant into the World Series of Boxing, joining the Miami Gallos team on a three-year deal.
It's semi-pro with no headguards, no vest and less-padded gloves. 'A different type of boxing altogether - a different sport', Egan revealed.
But combatants hold their Olympics status and can still go back to their national championships. Miami was a culture shock - but just what the doctor ordered. Plus, it made Egan realise he wanted to stay amateur for life - and maybe even aim for the 2016 Olympics in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.
He said: "The World Series is not like in the amatuers, where you get in and out and score points, in this it’s all aggression, you’re working and going forward all the time. You’re trying to knock lads out.
"When I got into the dressing room for my very first fight, I was opening up my bag when I started to panic - I head no headguard, I was after leaving it in the house! But it dawned on me, that I don’t need one.
"WSB gives young amateurs a taste of the professional game. A lot of them go pro too early and they don’t make it and they end up on the scrapheap. So this gives them a taste, and if they fancy it they can turn pro after it."
After a few months he was joined in the States by Ireland team-mate John Joe Joyce. Surely the pair of them enjoyed themselves. Long-time mates, joined together in Paradise. And why not?
Egan added: "Well it’s very hard to have the craic with Americans - they’re not the same as ourselves! Myself and Johnny get on well together. When I got there first, the coaches were John and Pat Burns - they looked after John Duddy for a while.
"And John, the younger brother, would only call me Paddy or Mick, or Irish. He never once called me Kenny for the whole five months I was there! I was like ‘me name is Kenny!’
"The difference between the two sports is massive. The amateurs is all about slipping and punching, it’s an art, a skill I have mastered. Over there you have to stay inside a little longer, plant your feet, and blast the shots in. But I’m built for point-scoring and not getting hit."
That amateur moulding came from an early age. His hero was Michael Carruth, a friend of his brother's, and club coaches Noel Humpston and then Gerry Fleming showed him the basics. But it was when the High Performance Unit was established in 2002 that he really got going.
Coaches Billy Walsh and Zuar Antia gave him direction, made him believe. Emulating them would be his No 1 aim.
Egan said: "Zuar especially, he’s taught me so much over the last six or seven years. I’m still learning from him! It’s funny, when he came I thought I was a seven out of 10 on footwork and certain things, but he whipped that out of the water - I was a three out of 10. I’m only building into a seven out of 10 now, I was miles off target.
While that can wait for a while, the professional game can wait for good. He knocked back offers in 2008 to aim for London's Olympics. But with Ward now the main man at 81kg, maybe the time is as good as any.
The WSB was the grounding, and if he thinks he is too old to turn at 29, just look at Bernard Hopkins. The oldest world champion ever at 46.
Within a year or two Britain's light-heavies such as Nathan Cleverley, Tony Bellew and the man he whupped in Beijing, Tony Jeffries, could be well within his sights.
But Egan said: "Hopkins is world champion at 46 - it’s just crazy. He’s in some shape. I know Jean Pascal from the amateur scene and he’s very very good, so to beat him… I boxed Jeffries two months before the Games and I always knew I had the beating of him. When I seen I had him in the semi-final I knew that there was no way he was going to beat me. And I went out and did it.
"But the whole pro game, I’ve watched the fights on Sky Sports and I watched James DeGale vs. George Groves - it was a bad fight. Horrible to watch, and DeGale getting booed. An Olympic gold medallist walking into an English venue and getting booed, what’s that? There’s something wrong there but I think it’s just the way he goes on, his attitude.
"I made the decision to stay amateur and chase the dream of getting to a second Olympics. I don’t have any regrets on that. Time moves so fast, there’s three years gone already and I’ve a year left more or less.
"I’m fighting in the pro in the World Series and I’m enjoying it. It’s different over there when your hands are getting wrapped, they’re like concrete. But I’ve never really thought of turning pro at all, just the WSB. My focus is the Olympics. And who knows - maybe I can represent my country in Brazil? I’ll be 34 - if I look after myself, it is possible."
And that's what it's all about for Egan. He and Ward will go to war again in August. If their second fight avoids some of the controversy of the first it will be another to relish. First time out, Egan was leading when ref Sadie Duffy intevened in the second round twice, awarding Ward four points for the 10-time champion twice holding his head down.
It turned the fight - as Andy Lee said, it 'ruined' the fight. The kid scrapped like a warrior but needed the boost and got it.
Egan recalled: "I started well, was 4-2 up, then Sadie started knocking out warnings. It’s a senior final, know what I mean? And I think Sadie wanted to be seen on TV for it. But look, she gave me the warnings and then the fight was totally turned around within a few second and he got four points.
"That was the whole gameplan out the window then. He’s not a big puncher - he’s just physically strong. I had my tactics to keep him back but it all changed when I got the warnings."
Either way, they meet again no matter what Ward can achieve next week. The second chance afforded to those who lost in the seniors has annoyed many of the champions who want no part of the box offs.
But Egan is just desperate for another chance to qualify for the Olympics a second time. More ammo for this book?
He added: "This is not an attractive sport, we only get recognised every four years. I was going to the final qualifier in 2008 asking myself 'what will I do if I don't get there?' You always have them doubts. But you just keep your head and I think I actually won my medal when I qualified.
"There are so many people who train all their lives but never reach the Olympic Games. It was in my head before I qualified - ‘Am I going to be remembered as just an eight-time senior champion?’ I wanted more. To wear that tracksuit with the five Olympic rings on it, Ireland wrote on the back of my top. And I got there the pressure was off.
"I’m starting a book. People have read an awful lot about me over the years and all about the negative stuff.
It’s not just about ‘the madness’, it’s about how I got to where I did, the mountains I climbed. It hasn’t been easy, it’s hard to try and remain on top for so long. I want other athletes to read it, to try and inspire them. Even before the Olympics, there were some harder times as well. But, you know, all will be revealed." There is no title as yet, but should he overcome and reach London, Seconds Out will be looking for a few quid after naming it for him.
Darren Sutherland's death:
We had been on Facebook chatting - he was happy. He was training away but the days were long. Worse again he was in London without his family, on his todd. I know Andy Lee is in America but he’s settled now, and well looked after. But Darren, he wasn’t used to being on his own - he was always with the team here - so it was probably harder to take.
Pro vs Amateur divide in Ireland:
I boxed with them all, Paul McCloskey, Carl Frampton, Andy Lee, Murray, and the Hylands. Professional boxing is doing well but it’s going to be all about the amateurs this year and next year. But that's the problem. You don’t get recognised until you reach the Olympics. So many boxers don’t get there after putting in hours and hours in the gym.
Tomorrow's talent:
Look at Joe Ward, Michael McDonagh, 17 years of age, they've improved so much after being in the High Performance. When it started, lads like me in their early 20s were only learning the basics. Now they’re coming in so much earlier. Standards have raised so we can send two or three international teams abroad - at the same time - and come back with medals.
Who's next to win medals?
I have to say Joe, for starters. He’s a good lad. He’s so young as well, he’s loads to learn. Darren O’Neill is just coming into his own now and this is going to be his year, and next. I hope he qualifies, he deserves it. That’s no disrespect to Jason Quigley. He’s No 2, but he’s only 19 and it works that way. Let O’Neill have his time, then let Jason come in after. Maybe going up to heavyweight?
Well I’m still light-heavyweight. I’m walking around 83, 84 kg now and when I was in Germany recently I was looking at the heavys and they were an awful lot bigger than me - but I’d be a lot faster than them. It’s something I’ve thought of but for the moment I’m staying put.
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