|
Personal
stuff
Place of birth Roscommon
Date of birth 17/12/82
Height 5' 8"
Weight 13 Stone
Favourite team (other than Rovers) Manchester United
Favourite player Roy Keane
How did you become interested in playing football ?
I played Gaelic football since I was seven
years of age; I used to play with my two brothers Noel and Patrick every evening
after school. I played a bit in my school, St. Pat's Ballyfarnon. When I was
about ten I entered a football skills competition which was sponsored by Snickers.
I won the Regional competition and qualified for the finals, which were held
in the RDS in Dublin. I eventually came second in the All Ireland Competition
in the Under 11's age group.
I started St. Mary's College in Boyle when I was twelve, it was about then that
I started to play soccer. I suppose I started to play because all my classmates
were playing. It was around about then that I started to play for Boyle Celtic
for the U14's, I did very well playing for them. I played for the U-14's and
U-16's and when I was sixteen I played for the Reserves. At the end of the Reserves
season I was top scorer and I was brought into the first team that was playing
in the Sligo/Leitrim Super League.
You
scored 50 goals for Boyle Celtic in you last season with them tell us a bit
about that season ?
I scored seven hat-tricks that season. I was very happy with the way I was playing
both personally and as a team as we went on to win the Super League in the Sligo/Leitrim.
Also in that season we won the U18's League and I scored 5 hat-tricks and on
a personal note I won the U18 player of the year.
When playing for Boyle Celtic did you notice other players that in your opinion would make in at a higher level?
At that time we had some fine players playing at the club. Eoin O' Donoghue, Paul Simons, Rory O'Donoghue, Darren Kearns, Darren Suffin and Michael McHale. These are players I thought were good enough to make the grade.
Name the best player you played with and against in Junior Football
The best player I played with would be hard
to pick, there are three that come to mind. Owen O' Donoghue, Rory O'Donoghue
or Darren Kearns.
The best player I played against would be Brendan Lowry.
Tell us your favourite memory from your time with Boyle Celtic
I suppose it would be winning the Super League and when we beat Abbey in Boyle. They were all celebrating with Champagne whereas myself and Darren Kearns celebrated with Ballygowan as neither of us drink. It was a great feeling and a memory that stays with me.
When
did you feel you were capable of playing at a higher level?
I felt I was capable of performing at a higher level when I went to Dublin, to St. Pat's for a trial, and I scored five goals in two games. Then I was down in the Showgrounds and I scored three goals against Danny O' Leary, whom I consider to be a top 'keeper, it was then I realised that I could play at a higher level.
How did you come to join Rovers ?
Don O' Riordan phoned me and asked me to come down to the Showgrounds for a few training sessions. I told him that I was going to Dublin for a trial with St. Pats. Don said sure come down anyway and he said that he could help me with a few things before the trials and I thought that was very genuine. So I came down and I like it. I found Don to be very good and I was enjoying it as he had gathered a great young squad together. Anyway I went to Pat's for the trial and I did well and they offered me a three-year contract. Shels were also interested but I decided to give Rovers a go as I liked it there.
What was the biggest difference you noticed ?
The speed of the game is a lot faster than Junior Football. You have more time on the ball at Junior level whereas in the Eircom League your first touch is very important.
That was an incredibly young team you stepped into did that put any pressure on you ?
We had got on very well in the pre-season training and games, we were playing lovely football, we were enjoying ourselves. There was no pressure at all. I never get nervous before a game so playing in front of big crowds didn't bother me. All I wanted was to get out there and do my best.
Did you set any targets for yourself at the start of the season ?
No I never set targets, I think that would put the pressure on. I just wanted to play well and enjoy it and I knew the goals would come. I'd like to be able to score in every game but I think all strikers think that way. If it goes for me then it's great but if it doesn't I'll try harder.
Do you feel that your goal scoring exploits with Boyle Celtic meant that a lot was expected of you ?
No, there was never any pressure put on me. Don was great and the supporters are the best. The lads from down home used to have the craic but it was all in good fun.
You
scored your first goals at senior level in that incredible game in Ballybofey
tell us what you remember about that.
I can remember running on to the ball and
seeing Bradley, a big strong man and him shoulder to shoulder to me. I remember
just pushing him off, I can remember just getting my shoulder to his and pushing
him off me. I got the greater strength and I got in the strike, I knew I had
hit it well but as I watched the ball I thought, oh no it's heading straight
at the 'keeper. But the keeper spilled it and the ball went in to the back of
the net. It was an unbelievable feeling, I just felt great. There was a massive
Rovers support down there that night and when I heard them cheer I just thought,
oh Jesus and when I heard my name called out as the goal scorer it gave me a
great buzz in my head and a shiver down my back. Looking back I would have liked
it to have been a better goal, my first but the ball crossed the line and that's
the main thing. But the feeling I got when it was announced number ten Paul
McTiernan, it's just a great feeling.
And today it's the same when I score a goal and my name is announced over the
intercom it's a great feeling every time.
The
season was going very well for you until you picked up the ankle injury, tell
us how that happened ?
Yeah, again it was against Finn Harps in Ballybofey. I was running after a ball heading in towards goal their defender tackled me and his legs got wrapped round my knee, I just twisted and I thought I heard the snap. I was sure my ankle was broken. I tried to stand but the ankle wouldn't take any weight. I was still mad to play on but I knew there was no way. That was my first real injury in football
It must have been very frustrating, after making such a good start, not being able to play?
As I had never been injured before it was a whole new experience and it was unreal. Just to go and watch games was very frustrating, watching the lads playing and knowing that I should be out there, it's awful frustrating. But I had to try and get on with it. The club got me a small trampoline and I used to get up on that. I also went swimming a lot to keep exercised, but I had to be very careful with the ankle. Even if I stood on a pebble it would cause great pain. It was a complicated type of injury as I had a damaged bone, damaged tendon and muscle all in the same area, I would say that I would have been better off if I had just breaking it.
How did you keep yourself focussed during that period ?
I just tried to keep the routine as normal as possible; I was doing all I was supposed to be doing in order to get fit again. I go and watch the lads train and I never missed a game home or away, but it was torture to watch I just wanted to be out there.
What targets did you set yourself at this point ?
I didn't set myself any targets as such.
I just wanted to get back playing and get back to full fitness and get back
to what I do best - scoring goals. That really was my target, get back playing
and scoring goals.
When
you got back into the team did you feel that missing the start of the season
affect you in terms of sharpness and general fitness.
I was always fit as a young fellow and not having drank or smoked I felt this all facilitates my fitness. So even though I had missed preseason training etc I still felt I was raring to go. So once I was allowed to go back training I knew it wouldn't take long to be match fit. The biggest part I felt coming back was the psychological side of the injury, getting back to being able to tackle and not being afraid of hurting the ankle again. Going in as hard as I would before the injury was something I had to overcome.
Do you feel you have reached peak fitness now ?
No!, I'm still not fully fit. I'm picking
up small little knocks now, maybe it's just because of the type of player that
I am. I judge my fitness levels on my game prior to the injury. Last season
I felt I could run and run and nothing would effect me but now there's times
during games where I can feel it in my legs and this is a part of my fitness
that I want to get back.
I do believe that I'm very nearly there. The course that I'm on up with Gavin
is a great help to me, Gavin Dykes has been a great help to me to get me back
fit and I say fair play to him for that. Because of my injury Gavin doesn't
have me doing everything that the rest of the lads are doing. He lets me do
a lot of swimming and a lot of gym work. Gavin is great like that, he talks
to me and asks how I'm feeling and he'll have a look at how I'm doing and he
gives me great advice on how I'll get myself back to my peak.
©
Red News Day
www.sligorovers.net
To be continued !