O’Donnell was Dundalk’
IRONICALLY within a few days of Stephen O’Donnell announcing his retirement from playing came the news that another great sportsman, Andy Murray, the British tennis player, also had retirement forced on him by injury.
Both O’Donnell and Murray would have hoped to continue in the sports that they loved and in which they had given so much pleasure to so many people, for at 33 on Tuesday the Dundalk captain would have entertained the realistic expectation that he had a few more seasons left in his legs, while Murray, two years younger, will obviously be jealously looking at Rodger Federer who continues to win majors at the age of 37.
Injury however is usually the final arbitrator in ending any sports career, and while Stephen O’Donnell once defied the odds when recovering within six months from a career threatening injury sustained against his former club, Shamrock Rovers in April, 2014 when he tore his anterior cruciate ligament and his posterior cruciate ligament, he found it impossible to recover sufficiently from the broken leg he sustained against Waterford last March.
New Dundalk Head Coach, Vinnie Perth in his tribute to his retiring captain was right to single out the determination and character shown by the player to recover from that first injury to score the historic goal in his comeback game against Cork City at Oriel Park in October, 2014 to clinch Dundalk’s first League title in 19 years.
‘One of the catalysts of all our success over the past five years was that historic goal against Cork, for the way that he fought to regain his fitness and be back on the pitch for that vital game sums up his attitude, determination and character’ said Vinnie Perth.
He did again draw on another extraordinary feat of determination to recover from his broken leg to play in Dundalk’s last League game of the season against Bohemians at Dalymount Park, but the tell tale signs were obvious that it was a long road back for the player, who, having undertaken a new life adventure with his recent marriage, now feels that he is unable to regain the fitness necessary to play at the top level.
No one, least of all Dundalk fans who will always cherish their memories of his more memorable performance - the first Cup final win over Cork, and on those special European nights in 2016 - would want to see the player struggle and his the Head Coach and the vast majority of Dundalk fans will be delighted that Stephen O’Donnell will continue his affinity with the club for he is joining the backroom team as Senior Opposition Analyst and Scout, a role he takes up immediately.
He may well have been tempted by offers from other clubs, most likely his home town club, Galway United, but it was evident from the player’s comments this week that Dundalk FC and the town itself holds a special place in his affections for he spoke of his ‘unbelievable time’ at the club, his ‘brilliant treatment by the club and the town’, and his determination to play a major part in the continuing story of Dundalk success.
‘It has been a bit like Roy of the Rovers style stuff since I joined in 2012 because of all that we have achieved’ he remarked.
Many, including Dundalk fans, see O’Donnell’s move to join the backroom team at Oriel Park as his first step into management and astute observers of the game believe that he has all the qualities to manage at the top, perhaps in time, at Dundalk.
For now however he is looking forward to his new role, scouting and analysing opposition and seeking out new talent.
Naturally his retirement has led to some debate amongst Dundalk fans about the contribution that the Galway midfielder made over the five seasons at the club and in which he won four League titles (2014, 2015, 2016 and 2018), and two FAI Cups (2016, 2018) captaining the sides to all those honours.
The debate has centred both on his leadership qualities as captain and his playing ability, and extended to the belief, expressed by some, that he was Dundalk’s greatest ever captain, and perhaps the finest player to wear the black and white.
Both statements will be contested by many for in the past Dundalk have had some outstanding captains, Gerry McCourt who captained the first League winning team in 1921/32, the legendary Joey Donnelly, who captained the side that won the FAI Cup for the first time in 1942, Mattie Clarke, who after 13 seasons with Shamrock Rovers and a host of trophies, nursed a remarkably youthful side to Cup glory in 1952, Shay Noonan, captain of the 1958 team that defied all the odds to deny the star studded Shamrock Rovers the FAI Cup in 1958, achieving the unique record of not conceding a goal in the campaign.
Then there was Alan Fox, player-manager and captain of the team that won the League in 1966/67, while Jim McLaughlin, not just for his achievement as one of the most successful managers