Hi everyone, how’s it going? It’s me, Michał, back with another weekly off-season interview. For this week’s interview, I was joined by a player who is new to the League of Ireland and has joined Drogheda United, Ethan O’Brien. Ethan is a midfielder who was born in Dublin but spent most of his life and football career in the United States with clubs such as, most recently, Huntsville City and MLS side Nashville SC. It’s a fairly long interview, but it’s well worth the read. Enough from me, Let’s Get Started!
How did the move to Drogheda United come about, and how do you feel about signing for your first League of Ireland club?
It came about recently I think they’ve been watching me throughout this season, obviously I’ve got an Irish background so I’m sure that was part of it, but I only heard about their interest very recently and I was very excited. Signing for Drogheda United in the League of Ireland is a special moment for me and my family. Being born in Dublin, and having so many great memories in Ireland as a kid, I can’t wait to now go back and play in LOI for this club.
Over the past few years, you played in the United States. Is there anything you learned during that time that you want to bring into the League of Ireland?
I definitely learned a lot. I had the opportunity to play alongside some top players with incredible technical ability and footballing IQ, and I think the game in the States is also physically demanding, which is something I’ll be bringing with me as well.
What kind of mindset do you take into games?
My mindset is always to win and put in a good performance for the supporters.
Is there a football player you admire the most? If so, who is it, and how does he inspire you?
I think right now Vitinha is the stand out especially in my position. His ability to dictate games and have such a big impact on both ends of the pitch is definitely inspiring.
You were named on the bench twice for Nashville SC in the MLS. From those experiences, was there anything that particularly impressed you while watching your team play at that level?
Yeah I think there’s a lot of quality in that league and being able to be on the bench and make my debut for Nashville this year was a great experience and I think it just made me even more confident and hungry to keep pushing to play at the highest level that I can. I think what impressed me most are the stadiums and atmospheres in MLS and getting to experience that no longer as a supporter was exciting, but from what I’ve seen the atmospheres in LOI are another level and I’m just buzzing to get over there and play in front of the Drogheda United supporters.
What personal goals have you set for yourself next season with Drogheda United?
My main goal is always to win. I want to come in and play a big role in building on the success of last season and winning even more this year. I’m want to help bring the club back to Aviva for another cup final and to push for silverware in the league as well.
Do you have a message for the Drogheda United fans?
A big thank you to Ethan O’Brien for taking part in this interview. It was a true privilege to have him on LOI Talk. I wish Ethan the very best of luck with Drogheda United in the upcoming season, and hopefully he enjoys his time in the League of Ireland.
Thanks to everyone for reading. I’ll be back in two weeks with another interview, this time speaking to a man who has just signed for Athlone Town AFC.