A Conversation with Brian McGovern
After a promising youth career at Arsenal, McGovern’s career was cut short by injuries. He speaks about moving from Crumlin to Highbury and the difficulty with moving on from football.
Former Republic of Ireland Under-21 captain Brian McGovern got his dream move as a young man to the Premier League with Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal. So how did he get from that point to a sense of worthlessness that affected his well-being, to the point where he felt isolated and on welfare.
McGovern was a part of the Arsenal reserve team for two years, lining out once for Wenger’s first team. He returned to the League of Ireland following sojourns at QPR, Norwich and Peterborough. He retired from football at 25 after a spell with Bray Wanderers — preceded by St. Patrick’s Athletic, Longford Town and Shamrock Rovers.
Brian Strahan: How’s life?
Brian McGovern: Yes, all is good. Not going to say it was an easy transition from the level of football I was playing to family and work life. I now have my own business.
BS: What is it?
BMG: It’s a little fitness studio in Bridgetown, Co Wexford. I moved to Wexford about eight years ago, and commuted to Dublin daily for work.
BS: What were you doing?
BMG: I was a taxi driver. So two hours up, then probably a fifteen hour shift and then two hours home. It wasn’t good for the health. I did this for over three years and eventually everything came to a head.
BS: How?
BMG: Family life was suffering as I wasn’t integrating with the locals. I would become a recluse to catch up with sleep. I ended up on the dole. So mentally this took the wind out of me sails. I strived on and said what am I good at and what do I enjoy. I am a people person and know how to keep in shape as I made a soccer career from it. I enrolled in a fitness college in London and between the internet and a lot of trips from Rosslare I completed two Diplomas in Personal Training and GP exercise referral.
I done classes in the local halls and only had one or two ladies but the word spread and I got a few clients. I got involved with a local Soccer club Fastnet Rovers AFC and help the club out as a coach and do some training with most of the teams. I also got involved the St Ann’s ladies GAA club and do sports conditioning with the junior and senior ladies teams. I just opened up my fitness studio five weeks ago and things are going ok at the moment thank god. I am married to Nicola and have four children; Conor Matthew Katelyn and Alex.
BS: Did you feel at a loss then when your football career was over? Where you prepared for it?
BMG: Oh yeah 100%. Who do you turn to? What do you say? All I got off people was “what happened?” “why you still not playing”, “how come you’re on the dole?”, “well there’s some fall”. The usual. But one thing I can say, I always looked after people so I didn’t need to look to far when I needed a dig out.
BS: What age where you when you retired.?
BMG: Twenty-five, had a lot of groin issues through overuse throughout the years.
BS: Where did you grow up?
BMG: Grew up in Crumlin.
BS: Big family?
BMG: I have three brothers and three sisters, so yeah, big enough.
BS: A sporting family?
BMG: Yeah, we all played soccer and Gaelic; so did the girls.
BS: When did Cherry Orchard become part of the picture?
BMG: I played with Crumlin United under age. Then went to the Orchard around Under-12. Some great players around then.
BS: Like who?
BMG: Home farm — Stephen Mc Phail, Richard Dunne, Barry Ferguson. The Orchard; Alan Mc Nevin, James O’Connor, myself! Crumlin, obviously Keano [Robbie Keane]. Alan Mc Nevin and myself; we both went to Arsenal.
BS: What was that like? You and Alan going to arsenal?
BMG: We were only kids going to a massive club. Excited, underestimates how we were feeling.
BS: So what was the set up when you went over?
BMG: It was the old London colony. Pitches you could eat your dinner off . You didn’t have to check for dog shit before you played! Many famous names from say my Dad’s era; Don Howe, Don Givens, Pat Rice and George Armstrong.
BS: Those lads were coaching then?
BMG: Yeah, they were the coaches and Wenger was the gaffer.
BS: What was your first impression of Wenger?
BMG: Very composed, calm and effective.
BS: Effective, how?
BMG: He would do a session on the pitch, explain what he wants and with clarity and precision; he would expect you to carry it out.
BS: Do you think the pressure he is under now to leave is justified?
BMG: Yes and no. We are all measured on our success in life. Top four finishes most of his time at Arsenal, Champions league football every year. I understand no trophies, but he has financially stabilized the club and been a sound manager. If measured by trophies — but yes maybe it’s time to step away.
BS: How do you measure your own career looking back?
BMG: Well I went to Arsenal at sixteen, captained the reserves for two years, got one game in the Premiership after going on loan to QPR, and was sold on. I represented my country at Under-21, captaining the side against Greece. I played in a good few games for Norwich; then basically with injuries and luck bounced around a couple of clubs in Ireland, winning the FAI cup with Longford . So how do you measure success? I have fulfilled a boyhood dream to play professional soccer and did it.
BS: Does it hurt though that injury prevented you achieving more?
BMG: One hundred percent; when your programmed to do one thing and then require reprogramming that’s the hard part.
BS: Was there support systems in place to help you adapt? Or was it solely down to you?
BMG: Big bad world, as Gazza said. Everyone wants a piece of you when you’re at the top, but nobody wants to know when you fall off the ladder. It was all up to me.
BS: From what you said earlier you struggled at first when you retired. You seem to be in a better place now?
BMG: Oh, one hundred percent, emotional rollercoaster feeling of worthlessness then you remind yourself of what you achieved. Ups and downs. Definitely in a better place now. Just wish I could could be there for lads like me falling from grace.
BS: Why did you feel worthless?
BMG: Because you’re going for jobs with experience in relation to top end soccer and no relevance for real life. Your CV has Wenger, [Bryan] Hamilton and [Nigel] Worthington on it. Bosses with an interest in soccer were loving it.
BS: But no interest in you, right?
BMG: Yep, interested in who you played against did, did you meet this person, that person etc. No interest in who I was.
BS: That must hurt?
BMG: I suppose you get to get over it. You grow a thick skin.
BS: I’m sure you do. But it must piss you off at the tine all the same?
BMG: On reflection on it, when you think about it, but you tend not to reflect too often otherwise you become trapped in a memory of the past.
BS: So when you retired in 2006 and had a hard time adapting, did you think it would take this long to find contentment?
BMG: You find yourself drifting. If I had myself now I would be in a better place quicker as I would have advised myself. I suppose nowadays there is support networks but sometimes you miss the bus.
