Wearen shows the way by focusing on positives
IMPARTIALITY to one side, only those made of stone would not want to see Eoin Wearen thrive with Limerick in the Premier Division this season.
His strength of character and courage of conviction is a prime example of what the modern League of Ireland footballer must strive for — self-sufficient, educated and looking to the future.
He is a 25-year-old who wants to control his own destiny and enjoy his football while he still can.
Wearen’s circumstances 12 months ago could have taken him to a dark place. The young Dubliner had every reason to slip away from those closest to him and suffer alone in the shadows.
One cruciate knee ligament injury was bad enough as he made his way in the game with West Ham United eight years ago but to suffer a second, on the eve of last season with Bohemians, was almost beyond comprehension. For a midfielder who relies on athleticism as much as speed of thought it took a few weeks to get his head around.
As tends to happen for a lot of former West Ham players of his age, his thoughts returned to a former teammate and friend no longer with him to share in moments of joy and help during times of hardship.
Dylan Tombides was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2011 and, despite a brief respite, the disease spread to his liver before taking his life at the age of just 20.
‘It was difficult for everyone to accept,’ Wearen explains. ‘Before Dylan got cancer he was flying. He was on the bench for the first team, he was a real player and destined for the top. Whether he would have got there we don’t know.
‘It makes people like myself think what he would give to be able to play football and just to be alive. You have to take that on board. Look at Liam Miller, another man who was young and had a family of his own. You have to enjoy it while it’s here and that’s what I want this season, to enjoy my football and be successful.’
It’s an ethos he lives by. Wearen will complete a three-year business degree from the Open University this May, opening doors for a life outside football should he so desire. ‘That has a lot to do with my family,’ he explains. ‘If I have spare time I would want to use it wisely and to try and better myself. Maybe you need something to give you that push and act as a trigger to be proactive about it.’
But he’s not looking to an escape from the game just yet. His recovery from the cruciate injury was successful and he also used the time which had been taken from him on the pitch to complete the UEFA B coaching course — working as an opposition scout for Bohs while he was forced to sit in the stands.
‘You need other things to focus on. If I didn’t have college work and scouting the injury would have absorbed my whole mind and I would have fallen into a dark place then.’
As so often tends to be the case in football, things have come full circle. Former West Ham teammate Daniel Kearns has joined him in Limerick and the pair are now housemates.
‘Hopefully it’s a good omen for us,’ Wearen says. ‘We all just want to be as successful as possible and make the most of ourselves.’