Dublin defender playing no Small part in league campaign

The first rule of interviewing a Dublin footballer is to talk about anything other than Dublin football. The second rule . . .

John Small is saying all the right things – the privilege of playing for Dublin, representing the group as best he can, being thankful for the opportunity: only when the talk turns to his earlier years doubling up in soccer does he say something of fresh interest.

“Yeah, I played with (St) Kevin’s, centre midfield, and I played with Tolka Rovers too” he says, visibly relieved to be talking about anything other than Dublin football. “I played until about age 14, 15 maybe, and used to love playing soccer.

“Then they started to clash with each other. So it was one or the other. I wasn’t going to be the next Ronaldo, so . . .

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“I actually started playing with Tolka because Kevin’s was on Saturday, and so were my games with Ballymun Kickhams. I was born in 1993 and Robbie Brady was ’92 and I remember hearing about him a lot when I was growing up with them. I still play a bit in the off season, a bit of five-a-side and that. But no regrets, no.”

No mistaking what helped convince him, either, as his father Declan Small was chairman of Ballymun Kickhams. His Dublin career continues to flourish, Small speaking in Croke Park as Dublin’s representative ahead of Sunday’s Allianz Football League showdown against Galway (Philly McMahon was originally listed for our attention, only to vacate at short notice, unclear as to whether this had anything to do with being sent off on two yellow cards in the defeat to Monaghan on Sunday evening).

Well established

Small is by now almost as well established in the Dublin defence, the 25 year-old from Ballymun Kickhams first called into the panel in 2012, under previous manager Pat Gilroy; although it was 2015 before Jim Gavin gave him his chance, Small coming on late in that year’s All-Ireland win over Kerry.

He’s started in all of Dublin’s seven league games this season, including Sunday’s one-point defeat to Monaghan, and will play a big part in Sunday’s final too – especially with Cian O’Sullivan out injured.

He’s not the only Small on the Dublin panel, younger brother Paddy, a forward, also called up this season, and the sibling advice might well be to show patience: “Yeah I was called up under Pat (Gilroy) in 2012 and went and was playing with the under-21s when Jim was the manager and Pat said it was probably best just to stay playing 21. I was playing with my club, Ballymun, we were going well at the time.

“We got to the All-Ireland final then in 2013. I was playing around then and Jim gave me the call-up in 2015 which I was delighted and privileged to get. I think a lot of the Dublin squad is selected on club games, so I was trying to perform in them to get the opportunity to play and to get called into the group.”

He hasn’t looked back – Sunday’s one-point defeat to Monaghan only his second loss in a Dublin jersey in two years, last year’s league final defeat to Kerry being the other: defeat is clearly something he intends on getting used to.

Very competitive

“Well it was a very competitive game out there, two good teams going at it. Obviously disappointed to lose, but Monaghan did well, tough physical game. Probably from our perspective, our passing was a bit off, and gives us something to work on, ahead, looking forward to the final.

“We probably didn’t perform to how we wanted to. We don’t dwell on it. We just prepare for the next time. We don’t have time to be thinking about stuff like that. We review and then we move on and we prepare for the next game.”

* Jason Sherlock, part of the Dublin management team, has accepted an eight-week suspension arising from a sideline incident in the league encounter against Galway last Sunday week.

It’s also been confirmed Cuala captain Paul Schutte will miss the rest of the season after tearing his hamstring in the All-Ireland club hurling replay win on Saturday evening.