Declan O’Brien interviewed by Colm Murphy
March 16 2009.
It’s been another tough training session for the Dundalk players. Again, it’s a varied session. A lot of hard work – it’s a serious session. It’s three days since the defeat in Galway and the players and management are in determined mood to get on track. Thankfully, there is no sign of despondency or panic. The mood in the camp still seems to be very positive. Poor old George O’Callaghan has just had the registration plate on his car screwed on upside down and is now frantically trying to find a screw driver…no prisoners are being taken in the dressing room slagging match…it looks and sounds like the tough three hour training session has worked wonders for morale. Everybody is looking forward to the next training session…but it’s tonight that everybody remains focused on.
Last Friday night, outside the away team dressing room, there was absolutely no joking or slagging. The players looked devastated and angry. There was no point in talking to them at that stage – best to leave them to recover. One man who had a disappointing evening was Declan O’Brien who was substituted at half-time. This is not something he would be used to. Tonight, Declan faces the team he left after nine hugely successful years. His departure still rankles with our Drogheda friends. But speaking after Monday’s training session, “Fabio” is in confident mood…
Tell me about your early career before joining Drogheda United?
I am from Corduff in Blanchardstown in Dublin. So I played for two years with Corduff United. I then went to Rivermount. We were in the top league and had some good runs against Belvedere and Cherry Orchard. We were not one of the bigger clubs and had to work hard to stay in that league. I had some great years there. Then I went to a Leinster Senior League team called Verona for three months. It was while I was there that I was spotted by Harry McCue and he signed me for Drogheda when I was just 20.
We all know Harry McCue very well here at Dundalk. What was he like as a manager?
He’s an excellent manager. I have a lot of time for Harry. He’s working for FAS now and I am very happy for him that he is still involved in football. Football needs characters like Harry. He gave me my break in senior football and I will always be grateful for that. I was only 20. I scored on my debut against Cobh eight years ago.
You achieved great success at Drogheda. But right up there must be the promotion winning season in 2001/02 before Drogheda started signing the major stars of the league…
That was my first year so I remember it well. Harry came in after we had finished second from bottom in 2000/01. He got a decent squad together. We were all young lads and we blitzed the division. I scored twenty odd goals that year which was great.
Drogheda were known as a Yo-Yo club at that stage but then you managed to stay up. How did you pull it off?
We had a really strong work ethic and a set of good lads in the squad. We only trained a couple of nights of week but when we did train we made sure to work hard. We had some really good professionals. It was a good mix of experience and youth
Is it similar to the set up now in Dundalk with the club back in the Premier?
I don’t think you can make that comparison. What we have here in terms of personnel, structures and facilities is much superior.
If you come from a successful team does that increase the pressure on you to repeat earlier successes?
Yeah if you come from a successful team you always set your targets high. But when a new team comes together like this it’s hard to set targets. We are just trying to be a hard competitive team. We think we should beat most teams when we play them.
What was at like at Drogheda during the good years. Much pressure?
Yeah there was a lot of pressure. But you don’t mind the pressure. We were paid very well to put up with that pressure. We had a lot of success in those four years. The pressure was always there. It’s a healthy thing when you are at that level. I think the pressure helped us win the league, FAI Cup and Setanta Cup. There is a lot of pressure here also which I think is a good thing.
Was there a sense of impending doom at Drogheda? That the good times just couldn’t last?
Yeah there was. We were been paid big money but the crowds were not that big. We just tried to enjoy it as best as we can and try to achieve as much success as we can. All of us just loved to play football and were lucky to be part of it.
You had some terrible luck with injuries in recent years…
All the injuries I’ve had have been very serious. First of all I smashed my jaw in four places. I then did my cruciate. I had knee trouble after that. I then broke my arm. This all happened in the space of two years.This is my first full pre-season in three years. I haven’t missed a day’s training yet and I am feeling the benefits of it. But the biggest thing that I need to get back to the level that I was at is minutes on the pitch.
Is it hard to restore confidence when you return from injury? Do you get it into your head that another injury is inevitably just around the corner?
Maybe there is an initial period that you go through after you come back that is like that. You say you don’t feel that but probably subconsciously it is in the back of your mind. But to be honest with you, I haven’t been bothered about thinking like that. I am one of these people who just plays my game and if I get injured then I get injured. No point in worrying about. But hopefully from this point on I should be fine. I have had enough injuries to last me a lifetime.
How difficult was it when things fell apart at Drogheda?
When things started to go pear-shaped it was bad. Relationships started to dwindle. But I prefer to look back at the good times. I have a great relationship with the good Drogheda fans. But I am a Dundalk player now and I am looking forward to writing another chapter of my career here.
Did you feel aggrieved at the circumstances of the final days at Drogheda?
Not really. I don’t feel like that. I am just looking forward to this challenge.
What was your reaction to the Pig’s Heads thrown at you at the Jim Malone game?
We had a great laugh at it here. It was hilarious. It goes to show their dedication. I wouldn’t have expected anything less. It’s a compliment in a way that they didn’t want me to leave. But the club basically folded. All the real fans know what really went on. All the players had to find themselves new clubs very quickly. We all had families and mortgages. It’s just the way of the world.
Is tonight just another game or does it have an extra meaning?
It’s not really anything different. Most of the people that I was with there have moved on. It’s a completely different set up now. It’s a big game but not because it’s me playing against my old club again. It’s a big game because we need to get some points on the board.
Tell me how you came to sign for Dundalk?
I was swaying towards a great opportunity in America. I probably would have gone there for a year or two if it wasn’t for my wife’s job. I was honest about that with Sean and Joe. But they sold the club to me very well. I weighed up my options and just thought to myself that I might go to America before the end of my career. I’ve always wanted to play in a different league. So that might become an option in the future.
How do you assess our opening two performances?
It was a good solid performance against Bohs. We have to admit that we are not creating many chances which is a bit of a worry. But myself and Mance (Darren Mansaram) have scored at this level. I have scored a lot of goals at this level so I am sure it will come good. All we have here is that we don’t know each other yet. We are not used to playing with each other. It will be 5-6 games before we gel. However, we need to get start grinding out results at the minute. It’ not a telepathic thing that develops. We just that people start relaxing with each other and can read each others movement better. It’s just to develop more confidence in each other. With the quality we have I’d hope that we can develop that understanding quickly.
Is it a good dressing room?
It’s a great dressing room. I’m really enjoying the experience. The manager has been great to work with since I arrived. It’s a great bunch of lads. We are all together and fighting for each other. It will start to show in the next few games.
You were taken off at half-time at Galway. Are you the type of player who will rant and rave at that or is just a matter of getting on with it?
I don’t think I have ever been substituted at half-time in my career. But I respect Sean’s decision and just have to get on with it. I’m sure things will get better for me and the team. It’s very early.
Would you consider moving into coaching when your career ends?
I have my Youth coaching badges and I am looking to do my UEFA B-Licence qualifications after this season. Coaching is something I would like to do to keep involved in the game. I’d still want to play for 3-4 years.
Finally, some Dundalk fans refuse to call you “Fabio” because they think it’s a name that Drogheda fans gave you. Where does it come from?
The origin is that I have Italian relations on my Mother’s side of the family. My childhood friends called me Fabio just as a piss-take! It has stuck since then. It’s not from Drogheda. It doesn’t bother me. Drogheda fans will always remember me as Fabio but if Dundalk fans want to call me something else then that is fine!
