Access exclusive podcasts, interviews, and analysis with a monthly or annual membership
It’s days like today when Sean Long will feel that the endless, intense dedication to his craft has paid off.
The Dublin-born Cheltenham Town defender is hoping to play against the Premier as his side League giants Manchester City.
As one of the biggest FA Cup games this weekend, it will be broadcast with a national audience watching on BBC One (starts at 5:30 p.m.).
Long has this Week already experienced an extraordinary football moment. He watched from the bench as Newport goalkeeper Tom King broke the Guinness World Record for the longest ever hit against his team last Tuesday.
« You can see all these crazy people in videos and on the internet Goals, but it was strange to see them live, « he tells The42. « It was just one of those things you don’t come across too often.
» That night it was windy and obviously the wind was blowing like that. It just took us by surprise. But it’s really a crazy destination. You can don’t do much about it. «
And Long will hope that something similarly freakish happens tonight as Cheltenham, currently sixth in the second division, welcomes a team led by Pep Guardiola that many have recommended to win the Premier League this season and that can advance to first place the highest tier if they win their game in hand.
It is the Robins’ first competitive game against the Etihad team that without Sergio Aguero (coronavirus) , Kevin de Bruyne (thigh) and Kyle Walker (hip) comes out.
A shock win would bring Cheltenham into the FA Cup fifth round for the second time in history, having only done so in the 2001/02 season was.
Michael Duff, the outside manager seiter, spoke to reporters ahead of the game, emphasizing the real David v Goliath nature of the tie.
« They’re going to get changed in a bar, » he said of City, adding, « We’re going to make it as welcoming as possible and the only thing you’ll like is the field. You won’t be Ronnie Radford- Get scene where the field is plowed.
« You will be able to play on it – we will not train on it to make it as bad as possible. » We pride ourselves on playing good football. We’re not going to ruin the pitch for this one-off. ”
While the dream is to win against the team 72 places above them on the English soccer ladder, it’s a more humble goal for Long to be minutes up today The Irish full-back, having played 43 appearances in all competitions on a regular basis in the 2019-20 season, he came back from the last weekend in the 83rd minute against Bolton for his first game of the current season Bank. Because of a He had to pause for a long period of time after a serious hip injury that required surgery.
« I just came back from it, » he says. « In the time we are in, it is difficult to get friendlies for the season so I’ll just have to wait and see my time. If I get the chance to get on the field, that would be great. »
« I just have to work with the sports scientists and the physical therapist here to make sure I’m right. Then I’ll get as many minutes as possible and stay on the pitch as long as possible. »Pep Guardiola’s side face culture shock when they face Cheltenham Town today.
Source: PA
On the upcoming game, he added: « There’s a lot of excitement right now. It’s one of the greatest connections the club has ever had when they play against Man City, the former Premier League champions. Everyone is happy really, it’s just a shame the fans can’t be there.
« Obviously these are difficult times at the moment when it comes to funding clubs and the like. So there is a little more money there [thanks to this game]. «
» And then, as players and employees, we naturally meet the best manager and the best players in the world. So it’s a really good opportunity to test ourselves. «
He continues: » Nobody gives us a chance to beat Man City. Of course we will win the game, but it’s more about enjoying the occasion. We may not have a chance to play against a team again play at this quality.
« We don’t even have to do analysis on Man City as we can see them every week. They are on Sky Sports every other day. «
For Long, the big game his family will watch back home in Clondalkin and millions of others is one of the most glamorous moments amid the years of tough transplantation required for a career as a footballer The 25-year-old’s father and grandfather came from more of a GAA background, and Long believes he might have played the sport at a high level had he not chosen soccer instead.
« I played it the summer I lived in Kildare with the local team called Nurney. I have some good friends down there. Any chance I have in Gaelic football, I’ll – I love it. » / p> His childhood football clubs included St. Francis and Cherry Orchard before the late former Irish player and coach Eamonn Dolan convinced him to move to England at 17 and join Reading.
Access exclusive podcasts, interviews, and analysis with a monthly or annual membership.
“I was involved in the Irish youth organization. I was, so to speak, the last to leave. All the boys were already over.
“I literally completed the Leaving Cert and was gone a week later. So it was good to obviously do that. That extra training made me a bit more grown up because I left over a year later [than most young Irish players]. “
The move was made a little less daunting with the presence of two other Irish youths, Pierce Sweeney and Shane Griffin, who are now in Exeter and St. Pat’s and are good friends with Long to this day. Former Irish international Noel Hunt was also part of the Royals’ first team at the time and was « great with the younger boys ». He often trained with the first team for a long time and seemed to be making progress under manager Nigel Adkins when he made his debut won a league cup against Scunthorpe from the bank.
This was followed by a series of loan moves with stations in Luton, Braintree, Cambridge and Lincoln before a permanent move to the latter was sealed. Jaap Stam was the manager of Reading and Long until then, who was seen as overwhelmed.
« I think that is the case with a lot of players – they will only get this chance and that bit of luck. » I trained with the pros every day and felt pretty much settled in. But you don’t really know until you’ve been tested at such a level.
« It might have worked, it might not have worked. But I enjoyed my time in Reading, I learned a lot there, obviously you did gave me the chance to come over and they made me who I am now. ”
Long went on a charity trip to Sierra Leone with fellow Irishman Kevin Dawson.
The Lincoln saying was particularly positive: Long won both the National League title and the EFL Trophy while there, but turned down a new deal to be signed with second division rival Cheltenham in 2018 should.
His time at Jonny Rocks Stadium so far has been frustrating. In another injury-related season, he only played five times in the second division in the 2018/19 season.
However, the Dubliner is determined not to be surprised by such setbacks. After his disappointing debut campaign at the club, Long received timely reminders of how lucky he is to have a career in professional football. A charity trip to Sierra Leone as part of the Kambia District Foundation in the summer of 2019, which he took with his Irish soccer colleague Kevin Dawson, gave him a different perspective on life.
« It was definitely an experience, it really was mine eyes opened to many things, « says Long, who spent his time there coaching a group of young local players and doing community work.
» In football we seem to moan about the little things. The balls may not be inflated enough or the field of play is not what it should be while they are lucky enough to have a soccer ball between 40 of them there and play on dirt and basically have nothing, but it doesn’t stop them from doing so to do what we all do, play soccer. «
And while his time in Africa underpinned the importance of simple gaming enjoyment, Long is also smart enough to recognize how difficult life in sport can be.
» At this level you never really know [what is around the corner]. You could get injured and possibly not come back.
« I’m getting a college degree in sports fitness and am currently doing my Uefa B license.
» So if I kept doing this, I would have a degree by 30 and my badges, just like something I need to have when needed. «
His recent progress outside of football underscores the value of spending that extra time in Ireland getting his Leaving Cert all those years ago.
« This is where my parents come in, » he explains. « They suggested I stay back and do it, so it definitely helped me in the end.
» All of my friends have been to England before so was I got a little frustrated and asked, « Why can’t I just leave? » But all of these things work out and it’s probably better that I ended up doing it. «
A passion for traditional Irish music (Joe Dolan is a big favorite) and a flair for the knockout chen – the latter is valued far more than the former by the teammates Long lives with – are further evidence of an old head in young people’s shoulders.
« Lots of people say you’re mature, » he adds. « And I think it depends on my parents – my mother and father raised me well. »
600px wide
400px wide
300px wide
Notify me of further comments by email
TheJournal.ie supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and the Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff work within the Code of Practice. You can get a copy of the Code or contact the Council at www.presscouncil.ie, PH: (01) 6489130, Lo-Call 1890 208 080 or by email: [email protected]
Please note that TheJournal.ie uses cookies to improve your experience and to provide services and advertising. For more information on cookies, please see our Cookie Policy.
News images from Press Association and Photocall Ireland unless otherwise stated. Irish sports imagery is provided by Inpho Photography unless otherwise noted. Associated Press wired service.
Journal Media controls and is not responsible for any user-generated content, posts, comments, submissions, or preferences. Users are reminded that they are fully and fully responsible for their own content, posts, comments and contributions, and Journal Media fully and effectively with respect to such content and its ability to make such content, posts, comments and contributions available guarantee and compensate. Journal Media does not control and is not responsible for the content of external websites.
Switch to Mobile Site
Websites:
TheJournal.ie |
Notable |
The42 |
Boards.ie |
Adverts.ie |
Daft.ie
Ref: https://www.the42.ie
