Dundalk’s double winning star Richie Towell says he almost quit football when he returned home from Scotland and gave himself one last chance to make a career.
He also says he would not sign for a League Two club, that going back to England is not the be all and end all, and that a phone call from Martin O'Neill could be the cards if his top form continues.
Towell scored the winner for Dundalk in the FAI Cup final against Cork City on Sunday and spoke to 98FM's Jamie Moore.
Having been the best player in the League of Ireland this season, there’s been plenty of reported interest in a move back to the UK, with Bristol Rovers reportedly among the suitors.
Richie was released from Celtic in 2012 having spent five years with the club.
“When I came back [home to Ireland] it was a difficult period for me and for my family, it was a very difficult period for us. I was out of a job, I didn’t know if I was going to play football for the rest of my life at the stage, I thought I might to explore other avenues and maybe get a job.”
“I said to my dad I was going to give it one more year and give it everything that I had, go to gym, get myself in best shape possible, eat as clean as I could. I was going to practice like nobody else has ever practised on a football pitch before.”
“When you put the recipes together it works, with the dedication I have, it’s proof that once you put in the hard graft, you get the rewards for it.”
Listen to the full interview here.
English interest
A move back to England or Scotland for Towell has been muted a number of times with the most recent reported interest coming from English League 2 team Bristol Rovers.
Their manager Darrell Clarke spoke to the Bristol Post last month
“Richie has a good pedigree and is the sort of player who might fit the mould we are looking for. We have heard some good things about him, but we want to have a look for ourselves and that is probably the next step in the process.
Clarke anticipated that his chief scout Steve Yates would “probably be going over to Ireland to cast an eye over Richie at some point in the future.”
Unfortunately for Clarke and other clubs at that level, Towell says he won’t be signing for anyone in League 2.
“I’ve made it very clear, I would not sign for a League Two club. Obviously the manager [Steve Yates, Bristol Rovers], doesn’t know me personally, even if he did offer me a contract I probably would have turned it down. That’s his own opinion, he said someone would come over to look at me.”
With his first child due in just over a month, Towell is not necessarily set on a move back abroad.
“It’s not the be all and end all for me [moving back away], to be happy is the main aim for me, I’m expecting a baby in four weeks time and that’s going to be another exciting time in my life.”
“If you got the opportunity to go over and set you up for life and secure a good future for myself and my family then I would have to look at it, but at the moment I’m fully focused on my football here.”
Bad News
Towell signed for Celtic as a 16 year old in 2007, and made just one senior appearance before a loan spell at Hibernian where he played 30 times under Pat Fenlon.
He was released at the end of the 2011/2012 season and returned home to Ireland with some major decisions to make about his future.
Like many other Irish boys, Richie was back home to Ireland, with no leaving cert, no qualifications and no plan for life away from football.
“You have to be very mentally tough and I’m very lucky, I’m very mentally tough. When clubs let people go, they do it in a ruthless way and it’s not on to be honest.”
Towell feels young Irish players would be better off staying in Ireland to complete at least their Leaving Cert before moving away, but understands the pull of chasing the dream.
“I’d love you see young Irish players staying in Ireland that little bit longer, doing their leaving cert and getting some good qualifications under their belt before they go over.”
“But when you get the opportunity to sign for a Celtic or a Man United, it’s a difficult one to turn down in case that opportunity never comes again.”
“Sometimes you have to take a chance on it, it works for some players and it doesn’t for others and that’s just a part of life.”
Boy In Green
So what about a call-up to the Ireland senior team? Having represented his country at all levels from U15 to U21, Towell thinks his phone might ring at some stage.
“I’m an optimist, I would like to think so [that a phone call from Martin O’Neill might come] but I have to be realistic at the same time. The squad is littered with premier league players, players playing in the SPL, with championship clubs etc, I know that they are playing at a higher standard at the moment, so the manager is going to favour them over me any day.”
“I’m a realist but I’d love to get a call up for Ireland, any young boy would dream about that. And if my form continues the way it has then maybe I do have a chance, and it would be great for Irish football if a LOI player got a call up as the league doesn’t get much recognition so it might be a good step in the process for that.”
