Carl Lennox

Name: Carl Lennox Team: Under 17s Position: Full back/centre half Age

15 Height: 185cm Weight: 72kg Carl, tell us when you joined Shamrock Rovers I joined in 2015 for the Under 11 team under Graham Gartland and Robbie de Courcy.

Where are you from and what club were you playing for previously

I’m from Naas in Co. Kildare. I was playing for St. Joseph’s Boys for two years.

How often do you train per week

I train three times with my team and I go to my local gym two times a week.

How you manage to travel to Roadstone

My mam and dad share giving me lifts so I am very grateful to both of them for the sacrifices they make for me. Last year was your first year playing at League of Ireland level; looking back on that how do you think you did personally? Overall, I thought I played very well. There were times when I could have played better, I know that myself. I was a bit disappointed with that but it’s a game and you have to learn from it. Your team got into 2 finals but narrowly lost both; what lessons do you think the team learned from those experiences? In both games we started slowly; we didn’t get on the ball enough. We gave them (St. Pat’s) a chance to get into it. Once we get going I don’t think any team matches us. We had enough chances over both of those games to have won both but we didn’t take them. Did you find it a big step up from the DDSL to League of Ireland last year? It was a big step up at the start. You’re playing against better players and every team is going to give you a good game. You could see at the start of training last year our levels and the intensity and the quality of the training went up a notch. You have to have quicker decision-making also. Every game is a good hard game. What advice do you think you could give to this year’s Under 15s who are now playing League of Ireland for the first time? To work hard, to express themselves and don’t let it go by because it goes quicker than you actually think. You suffered an injury to your arm this year; tell us about that. Just after the national lockdown got lifted I was out playing football with my mates and I fell over and broke my elbow. That kept me out for between five to six weeks. I couldn’t play and that was disappointing. You were one of the players impacted by the recent Kildare lockdown. That announcement must have come as a big shock to you at the time? It did but I was reading things online and thinking is it actually going to happen? Then it was on the news so it was a big disappointment knowing your team was going to be playing without you. Were you frustrated knowing your teammates had started the season and you couldn’t be there? Yes, because I was only getting back into training and into the team and then I was back home when the others were playing again.

What does it mean to you to be playing for Shamrock Rovers

It’s an honour; I feel I am very lucky. All the players around my age would love to be here. I know I have to keep fighting for my shirt.

What school/college do you attend

(and what year are you in?) I’m in 4th Year at Naas CBS. Have you any idea of where you would like your career to take you when you are finished school? To be honest I haven’t really thought about that. I’m just focussed on school and on my football at the moment. You have played right across the back line. What position do you prefer? I prefer centre half the most but I’ll play anywhere that Thomas (Morgan) or Ed (Saul) ask me to play. I can play left or right.

Do you model yourself on any player worldwide

In look up to Virgil Van Dijk and Sergio Ramos. I’m a Liverpool fan and I think Van Dijk has everything about his game, everything’s good and he looks the complete player. Ramos, that speaks for itself, the amount of titles he has won.

Do you have a favourite player from the current Hoops’ senior squad

Pico Lopes. He’s in my position, he’s in the centre, he shows good leadership. He’s always talking and puts in a good shift for the team.