John O'Sullivan

From where?

Ringsend

When did you join Rovers?

This is my fourth year at the club.

What club were with before that?

I was at Cambridge and then Cherry Orchard.

Why did you want to join Shamrock Rovers?

Because of the pitches and the facilities they had and because the plan for the future was better than any other club.

Did you know anybody here before you came?

No, but at the time I signed two others from my team at Cherry Orchard also signed, Ben Coughlan and Carmichael Uchenna.

How do you manage to travel from Ringsend to the SRFC Academy at Roadstone and back home?

I get a lift in to town each morning and then get the bus to be here at 9.15. I stay on here after classes for training. I get collected then for going home.

How do you see your time here so far at the club?

It has been very successful winning a couple of leagues and cups, we won the DDSL twice and the cup (U12) when we beat St. Kevin’s.

What is your preferred position?

I’m an attacking central midfielder; it’s a role I enjoy. I have always played there. It’s a great position to play in.

You are also team captain; do you feel you have a lot of responsibility?

Yes, it feels good to be a leader. Being captain I have learned to help others and if they are not playing well to help them along. I feel that responsibility when the team are training and in matches.

You are on the school Transition Year Course with Shamrock Rovers. What’s that like for you?

It runs five days a week beginning at 9.15 in the morning. We do two classes a day and then football training (three evenings a week). We do English, Business, Maths and Irish. If we were in school otherwise we could be doing other subjects but those are optional in 4 th Year. We finish school at 3.30 in the afternoon.

Do you do anything else?

We do gym in the mornings three times a week on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. So sometimes we start in class or three times a week we do an hour in gym.

Who teaches you?

We have teachers from Ashfield College.

There was also an afternoon presentation recently on the history of Shamrock Rovers. Did you enjoy that?

It was good learning about the club we play for and know how it all began.

Coming from Ringsend, what does that mean to you?

It’s important, it just shows where the club started and it’s good to know I came from the same place.

Were you a Rovers’ fan before joining the club?

No. I started supporting Rovers the season before I joined and that also helped me to sign for them. There is a fan club in Ringsend; I haven’t been in it but I am joining it this year.

Have you been to any away matches?

I have gone to Bohs and Pat’s and I have travelled to a couple outside Dublin.

You have played for the club in the DDSL and in the National League. What are the differences you have noticed between the two?

The National League would be more like a pro league where you play against teams from all over the country. The DDSL was just Dublin based. The standard of play is much better than in the DDSL.

How do you feel you have come along as a player since you went up to the National League?

A lot better because the training times have changed and we train for longer and more often and I feel it has benefitted me a lot.

What do you hope to achieve in the future?

To play for Rovers first team and hopefully also play abroad. My priority is to play for Rovers’ first team.

You have actually played a game for the first team. What can you tell us about that?

Me and Cory O’Sullivan (no relation) played in the friendly recently against Fairview Rangers down in Limerick. We both played for the first half. Rovers won 1-0; Danny Mandroiu scored.

How did you feel you got on?

Good. I thought I played well. It felt good to be around all the big characters and the big names like Jack Byrne, Danny Mandroiu and a couple of players that have played in England.

Were you training with the first team?

Our whole team trained with them for a week the week before the match.

When did you know you would be travelling to Limerick with the first team?

They told us after training on Friday. The game was on Saturday.

Did you manage to sleep that night?

I went straight to sleep after I went home. I was looking forward to it.

Did you find the game physical considering your age?

Not that much, they were stronger (compared to his own age group) but it was ok because I was surrounded by big strong players on our side.

Did any of the first team players give you words of encouragement?

Barry Cotter came over to me and Cory and said just be ourselves, that we looked good all week in training and just do what we have been doing in training when we are on the pitch.

What’s it like to work with the coaches and managers at the SRFC Academy?

It’s good. All the managers care for the players. They ask you how you are feeling and where you want to play and they look out for us.