IT’S A LABOUR OF LOVE FOR LEE
Gibraltar striker Casciaro has his Scots boss to thank for nursing him back to fitness in time for one of the toughest tasks in football
THERE can’t be many more gruelling shifts in football than leading the line for the Gibraltar national team. A 21-0 aggregate reverse scoreline from four Euro 2016 qualifiers bears testament to the futility of the task facing the lucky ‘striker’ who must pound the hard yards with minimal prospects of a sight of goal, far less a chance to score.
The individual concerned has to be determined, selfless and, above all, fit. Lee Casciaro is all of that but he insists he would not be in a position to take on the draining assignment at Hampden today were it not for the generosity of Davie Wilson, the Scot who finds himself about to take charge of the Gibraltarian side for the first time.
Locally, Casciaro is regarded as Gibraltar’s star player and, when he sustained an anterior cruciate ligament injury playing for club side Lincoln Red Imps just months after the country’s admission to UEFA in 2013, it put a potentially harmful dent in morale ahead of the nation’s first ever competitive internationals.
‘We were all devastated,’ remarked captain Roy Chipolina with no hint of exaggeration.
Wilson, a physical rehab officer with the Royal Navy, had just been named assistant to then national coach Allen Bula when Casciaro got hurt. Recognising the personal and team implications, he used his expertise to bring the player back to fitness in time for the opening qualifier against Poland in Faro last September.
‘Davie knew me from the selection and knew how important I was for Gibraltar and my local team,’ said Casciaro. ‘He took me under his wing and said he would train me outwith his working hours.
‘We both work in the Ministry of Defence, so whenever we had a spare hour we would go and train in the gym. He did it voluntarily and, with his help, I came back after four months.’
While Gordon Strachan likes to make a big deal of the sacrifices his Scotland players make when they report for international duty, he might tone the praise down were he to acquaint himself with the stories of the Gibraltarians.
Our national coach may feel the need to massage the egos of the millionaires at his disposal but while he presents international football as a labour of love for these richlyrewarded young men, the Gibraltarians truly are dedicating themselves to the cause, often at the expense of their personal and professional lives.
There is certainly little prospect of Casciaro following his Scotland counterpart Steven Fletcher’s lead and posing up with a newly-purchased Lamborghini online.
‘The Scotland players may make sacrifices but they have bought into that way of life and are used to it,’ said Wilson. ‘Our boys are making genuine sacrifices. It’s a great thing to play for your country — but time off work, giving up annual leave and holiday pay, they aren’t used to it. This was thrust upon these lads 12 months ago.’
Last Thursday night, Casciaro scored his obligatory goal for Lincoln Red Imps in the pouring rain, then showered and changed into his police uniform before reporting for a 12-hour overnight shift.
It’s a well-worn routine but the 33-year-old sees the chance to finally compete in top-level internationals as being worth all the toil.
He finds it hard to fit in training sessions around his tiring work patrolling Gibraltar’s land and sea borders and, when he can’t, he will preface a shift with a brisk road run or a shift in the gym.
Ask him about this and he will tell you his commitment is hardly unique, even among his own family.
Casciaro’s two brothers Kyle (forward, 27, shipping agent) and Ryan (defender, 30, police officer), also represent both Lincoln and the national side. Casciaro insists he is living a dream as the figurehead of a team finding its feet as UEFA’s 54th and newest member association.
‘Walking out against Poland with my two younger brothers was very emotional for me,’ he stated. ‘To do that having come back from that injury, when I thought I would not play football again, is something I will treasure all my life.
‘Standing in the tunnel before the Germany game, alongside these world champions, was surreal, too. I asked myself: “What the hell am I doing here?”.’
Bula was fired by the Gibraltarian FA earlier this month not so much for results — a series of heavy beatings was fully expected — but for a confrontational managerial style ill-suited to the handling of a vocational group of players.
Kilwinning-born Wilson makes big demands of his players physically and tactically but offers a more amenable style. Although he has promised changes ahead of the Scotland game, it’s likely all three Casciaros will be involved.
Yet, although it was wide midfielder Kyle who scored his country’s first official international goal in a 1-0 victory over Malta, Chipolina is in no doubt about who offers the main threat.
‘Lee is our best player,’ said the 32-year-old captain and customs official by trade. ‘It’s a shame we didn’t get into UEFA when he was a 20-year-old as he would probably have been tapped up by another team.
‘It’s only a lack of opportunity that stopped him. Every time we went to compete in an Island Games (Gibraltar’s pre-UEFA sporting arena) everyone spoke about him. I’m not saying those matches were of a particularly high standard but he was way too good for it.
‘He could have played to a good league standard in England, no problem. That’s my opinion.’
As it stands, the only bona fide professional in the Gibraltar team is Preston North End defender Scott Wiseman. The remaining players are therefore determined to make the most of their first, and possibly only, chance to play at Scotland’s national stadium.
A group of 400-500 Gibraltarians are making the trip to Glasgow and the Casciaro brothers will have special support.
‘My parents always go — home and away,’ adds Lee. ‘My dad is retired and my mum doesn’t work, so they follow us everywhere.
‘They will be coming to Scotland but that’s
not unusual — 90 per cent of our players’ parents come to watch us.
‘My wife is coming, too. She works in a school, so this is the Easter holidays.
‘If I’m taking annual leave, why not take the chance to see Scotland? On Monday, we will wake up and have two days. I will see around Glasgow, do a bit of shopping with the wife. We’re just normal people and it’s not as if we’ll get stopped in the street. I want to learn about the Scottish people and the food.’
Before enjoying some Scottish hospitality, the Gibraltarians may encounter some mild hostility as the Tartan Army wills its team to claim a victory as essential as it is expected as the campaign to reach next summer’s finals in France intensifies.
Wilson expects his players to revel in the atmosphere. ‘Because our home games are in Faro, we only ever play away so we won’t feel it. They don’t see it as being hostile — it’s a thrill for them. The roar will be great for the players and will only lift their game.’
Casciaro, meanwhile, is bracing himself for a tiring afternoon on a wide Hampden pitch.
‘I try to alleviate the pressure on us if I can, either by holding up the ball and drawing a foul or running the defenders,’ he said. ‘It’s tough and not what I’m used to but I’m enjoying it.
‘I still can’t believe we have played these matches. It probably won’t be until I retire and look back with my kids that it will sink in.
‘Playing Germany was a dream — I didn’t think that would happen at my age. I got Tony Kroos’ shirt that night, which wasn’t bad. When we played Ireland, it was John O’Shea. I’m a Manchester United supporter, so Darren Fletcher is next on my list.’