Quick-fire Round - Paul O'Conor

A few weeks ago Sligo Rovers signed midfield ace Paul O’Conor from Drogheda United. Alan Finn caught up with the former UCD player for a quick-fire round of questions.

How did your move to Sligo Rovers come about?

It actually all happened quite smoothly which I was happy about. I got a call from the manager on the Friday, we met up the next day for a chat and then I signed on the Sunday. I was delighted to get it done early as I know how messy and uncertain the off-season can be.

You scored your last goal for Drogheda against your new club. Did you know at the time you would be joining them just a couple of weeks later?

No I obviously wouldn’t have known that. My only focus at that time was to win the cup, I hadn't thought of anything beyond it like who I'd be playing for the following season.

You come into a squad featuring two former UCD teammates, Evan McMillan and Danny Ledwith, does that help with settling into a new squad?

Yes it definitely helps when you join a new team and there are players there that you've already played with. I spoke to Evan McMillan before signing and he gave me a bit of advice. I would know a few of the others as lads as well having played against them so many times.

It's also perhaps uncommon for the majority of the squad to live in the same community, but you will be the latest in a long list of Rovers players to become a resident of Riverstown, do you think that will further help the settling in period at your new club?

Yes I do think it will help. When you join a new team you want to get along well with your new team mates so as to be able to gel into the group as quickly as possible and living so close to each other will help that process I feel.

In your first European outing last season, Drogs turned a few heads following a draw with Malmo when no one gave you chance. What was the experience like for you? 

For me it was one of the best experiences I have ever had playing football. There was such a huge build up to those games and you could feel the excitement of fans as the game drew closer. We went in with a game plan that we stuck to and were still in the game till the 90th minute of the second leg. But the experience of travelling away with the team and fans to Sweden was brilliant and something I'll never forget.

UCD have produced so many top League of Ireland players down through the years. As a former player for the club, can you give us an insight into what they perhaps do differently that makes them such a successful club at nurturing a players potential?

Well I think the main thing is that they give players a chance to play at the highest level in the country at such a young age. I feel that goes a long way in preparing players for when they move on which they eventually do. But also they are taught to play their football in the right way at all costs. This happens throughout the club from the Leinster Senior League level where I started right up to Under-19s and first team so if anyone is called in to that first team they already know what is expected of them. For me they are the most important team in the league for producing players. The list of successful players to come from the club is impressive. You only have to look at St. Pats who obviously won the league this year and you will find former UCD players in Greg Bolger, Conor Kenna, Conan Byrne, Ian Bermingham and Shane McFaul.

What are your personal goals for the 2014 season?

My personal goals are to firstly get a good pre-season under my belt and to help the team in any way I can to win trophies with the League obviously being the main priority.

What has been your career highlight to date?

My career highlight would probably be scoring in the Aviva in the FAI Cup Final. It still hurts to know that I wasn't on the winning side in that Final but it just makes me want to get into that position again to hopefully go one step further next time.