Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
MAXIE SWAI Once a rising Milton Keyne now all Ben w football is to part in the D a new era for
BEN TILNEY is no ordinary addition to the Irish League.
One of the standout performers of a resurgent Larne this season, and an ever-present since his switch over the summer, with six goals already from defence, the marauding wing-back has taken the Championship by storm and could well find himself in the running for the divisional player of the year.
Cheekily nicknamed Jesus by some of the Inver Reds faithful on account of his long, dark hair, the muscular Englishman looks more like a rock star than a footballer.
That he also once played guitar in a band over in England and remains a devotee of heavy metal, and suddenly the shock of hair and confident swagger all begin to slot into place.
But it’s his move from England – where he spent 14 years with his hometown club MK Dons – to nouveau riche Larne which is really quite extraordinary, because it is the journey all our best homegrown footballers dream of making in reverse.
Typically, ageing or fading professionals only seek out the Irish League as a payday of last resort; the meagre crowds, dilapidated stadiums and febrile political backdrop of days gone by marking our top flight out as one of the least attractive destinations across Europe.
But with Sky Sports and the Beeb ramping up coverage, attendances soaring, and facilities unrecognisable, these are changed days.
Tilney certainly thinks so, anyway. At just 21, he’s no fading force. A breakthrough academy star at The Dons, he was a popular player with fans before things quickly started to go south, the prevailing opinion being that he was treated shabbily having barely got his feet in the door.
Just six games into his senior career and his then boss Robbie Neilson (circled) saw fit to call out the rookie left-back’s attitude, and he never really recovered after being unceremoniously farmed out on loan to the lower leagues.
When pressed on it, Tilney admits he felt slighted and let down, but while fans on the club’s forums go much harder on Neilson, he for one has no interest on dwelling on it or re-opening old wounds.
Talking to Match On Tuesday, he doesn’t come across as someone trying to repair a broken dream, but rather a young man revelling in a fresh challenge.
He genuinely loves it at
Larne. He feels a great affinity with the place, the people and the fans, and, crucially, is playing with a smile on his face again.
“The move’s been really good and I’ve settled in really well,” said Tilney, who turns 22 on Thursday.
“I’m really enjoying my football. It’s been an exciting year for the football club and I’m just grateful to be a part of it.
“The gaffer [Tiernan Lynch] and all the staff have made it a really enjoyable place to come and play your football.
“And what has been happening at Larne has been really good first of all for the team, but more importantly, the community, and when you walk around town at the moment, there’s a real buzz about the town and that’s all to do with Larne Football Club,
which is really exciting and it makes me really proud to be a part of that.
“When I first heard about the move, I was really excited and it hasn’t disappointed yet, I’m loving every second of it.”
From Luton, where he was born and raised, to the footballing backwater of Larne is a road less travelled for young aspiring players, of course, so what exactly is his move to the harbour minnows all about?
An escape from his MK Dons woes, perhaps? Redemption for a stillpromising career? Or just a young man on a new adventure? Well, all of the above really.
“I was playing at Milton Keynes for 14 years, I came through the academy I felt it was the right time for a change at that point in my career,” explained Tilney.
“And Larne just felt like a perfect fit, and where they are aspiring to be, I just really wanted to be a part of it.
“Obviously there are differences in the style of football but I think it has all added to my game.
“It’s a lot more physical over here, but there is some really good football played as well, which has helped my game.
“Coming over here has given me a new lease of life, it’s almost starting again if you like, and it’s allowed me to really knuckle down and focus on my football.
“And sometimes it’s good to get away from any kind of distractions and really focus on the football. Everything that Tiernan and the club offered was what you want to hear as a footballer and a person, so it was an easy decision in the end.
“And everything they do here on a day-to-day-basis is really, really professional. Being full-time, it gives you that platform to go and improve.”
On those criticisms from his old boss, which ultimately heralded the beginning of the end of his time at the Dons, Tilney said he wouldn’t let them sour his memories of the place.
“I think it was a bit of an unfair comment, but I just think after being there so long, after a while, you just need that change,” he said.
“Change is good sometimes, it gives you a new outlook on things, it’s excitbut ing and it’s what I needed. But I enjoyed every moment of playing at Milton Keynes, and they have made me the player I am today, I really, really enjoyed my time there.”
It’s been a short career so far for the youngster, of course, but he can still single out many highlights, chief among them his debut for the Dons.
Handed his first game for the club by Karl Robinson, the same man now guarding the prospects of former Irish League proteges Gavin Whyte and Mark Sykes at Oxford United, he wasted little time in serving notice of his talent, letting fly with that sweet left foot of his from all of 25 yards.
“Looking back, I scored on my debut for Milton Keynes and that was a really proud moment,”