Bennett under no illusions

There is a real sense of excitement on the banks of the Lee this year, as John Caulfield looks to fine tune a squad which finished second in the league in 2014. While midfield dynamo Gearóid Morrissey is a notable departure from the first eleven, the City boss has added quality, as well as strength and depth in the off-season as they look to go one better and become League of Ireland champions this year.

Players like Karl Sheppard and Kieran Djilali are young, but have experience of winning trophies and playing in Europe, while the centre of midfield has been bolstered with the impressive Gavan Holohan and the wealth of experience that former Republic of Ireland international Liam Miller brings.

With the welcome distraction of European football to contend with this year, Caulfield has created real competition for places all over the park, and last Friday the Cork City manager sought to improve on the league’s meanest defence in 2014 with the capture of AFC Wimbledon captain, and former Cork City centre half, Alan Bennett.

After saying goodbye to the Kingsmeadow faithful during last Saturday’s home win against Newport County, the twice capped Ireland international defender made the trip back to his hometown, and Extratime.ie caught up with him to find out how he was settling back into life in Cork.

“Good…a little chilly, but it’s good,” said Bennett. “I flew back in yesterday, so pretty much since I’ve touched down it’s been all go. I had a real good physical training session yesterday, and a little less today… thankfully. It’s been good.”

Bennett first joined Cork City as an 18 year old midfielder from local side Richmond, before establishing himself in the heart of defence alongside Dan Murray. The Cork native shone in the 2005 league title win, as well as various European campaigns, earning himself a transfer to Reading in January 2007.

Eight years later, Bennett finds himself back at the Bishopstown training ground so was there any sense of nostalgia as he arrived back to training yesterday?

“Not really to be fair, because I was here in the summer. I did maybe a week with John (Caulfiedl) and the lads then, so I kind of knew that it had come on a fair bit, and knew what’s been done. I would have been here back in the day watching the games too.”

Indeed Bennett is more than familiar with the Bishopstown base, as he recalls making the short trip to the ground as a youngster. “You won’t believe me now, but I painted a few of them seats that are outside the front. It was a long time ago, when they had volunteers down to do a bit of work.

“I’m not sure if I actually did much now, but I remember being down there for it. Being a young fella, I was probably flying around after a football really! But I remember seeing Damien Richardson around and all the others. I only live up the road, so I know the area well.”

Although it is eight years since he left the League of Ireland, the 33 year old should fit right into the Cork City setup as he already knows many of the people currently involved at the club.

“There’s plenty of familiar faces! I met Jerry Harris to sign on the dotted line yesterday. Sure I would have played with John Caulfield and with John Cotter, Nults (Mark McNulty), Muzz (Dan Murray), Flynny (John O’Flynn) and (Liam) Kearney. I wouldn’t know Colin (Healy) and Liam (Miller) very well, but I’d know them from being around.”

The centre half has enjoyed some good times in English football, standing in to captain Brentford to a League Two title during a season long loan at the Bees 2008/2009, and playing for a Wycombe side that achieved automatic promotion from League Two in 2010/2011.

A return to Leeside someday was something the commanding centre half often spoke about, but a switch to Cork City last Friday caught some off-guard. So how did it all happen?

“It was something I always said that I wanted to do, so in that sense it was a pretty long time [in the making]. But actually it was last Monday that it all started with a phone call from John and it went on from there.

“I spoke to Wimbledon and said ‘look, I’ve had an offer from Cork City’. They knew full well that it was what I wanted to do because I had said it to them all along.

“The manager said ‘you’ve been good to me and I appreciate that and to show my appreciation, I’ll let you go and you can do what you want to do’.

“So I came home then and it was great, once it went through.”

Having played previously with the Cork City coaches John Caulfield, John Cotter, Billy Woods and Phil Harrington, and having trained with the side last summer, Bennett admits that he didn’t take much persuading.

“No. That bit was easy. From John’s end as well, he’s quite persuasive when he wants to be, but from his end, he’s not just ringing somebody who didn’t know the club, or didn’t know what was going on or didn’t know how it worked. So it was pretty smooth from his end. Once it was done, he was able to tell me to be where and when and all that. So I was able to move back into the family home – it was all pretty smooth.”

Over the years Bennett has kept tabs on the Rebel Army, watching them on TV whenever possible, like in last season’s title decider at Oriel Park. He is all too aware of the troubles the Turner’s Cross side has faced over the years too, but has a sense that things have come full circle.

“I probably left at possibly the right time. It was January 2007 when I left, so that’s the club that I felt I was coming back to. Aiming for league titles… aiming for cups… that kind of thing. That’s the kind of club I felt I was coming back to and that made my decision a bit easier as well.”

The prospect of European football is something that also appeals to the veteran defender, and he is is encouraging the Cork City fans to get involved this summer.

“It’s a fantastic experience. For players, for fans, for staff, for everyone really. I’ve only ever heard great things about any of the trips. People still talk to me about some of the trips we were on and whatever memories people have from it; that’s great. I can only recommend it highly.

“If anyone is looking at planning holidays around then, they should look into it because it’s a great occasion. I’m looking forward to July and when the draw comes out, we’ll see where we’re going.”

It’s not just Cork City fans who have fond memories of Alan Bennett. Some Shamrock Rovers fans will remember a trip to Turner’s Cross in 2001, when a 19 year old Bennett scored a spectacular own goal against Damien Richardson’s Hoops to knock Cork City out of the FAI Cup.

Time seems to have eased the pain, and the defender laughs when extratime.ie asks him has he ever scored a better goal?

“Hahaha - no. Nothing like that since. Actually, I’ve told a few lads about that goal over the years in England, and none of them believe me!

“That was a massive, massive learning curve for me. It was a situation that could have destroyed me. I just learned from it. The situation in my head, what was happening and what I was doing was completely different from what I should have been doing. I learned those things over the years and I learned the hard way that day.”

Bennett is just the latest in a string of former Republic of Ireland internationals to return to the League of Ireland to ply his trade. At 33 years of age, what he would say to those who might claim that former internationals are returning to Ireland to take it easy and collect a pay cheque?

 “To come back and take it easy? No… I know full well how the league operates; the places you’ve got to go to try and get results. I’m under no illusions of how difficult it is going to be or how challenging it is going to be.

“I’m fully aware of how good the squad is here. Especially defensive-wise, they had an excellent season there last year. They’d the best defensive record in the league.

“I’m looking to come in, to add to the group and just chuck in whatever little bits of experience I might have and hopefully the group moves to another level, which I feel it can. If we do that, then hopefully good things can happen this year.

“John (Caulfield)’s on us every day and training has to be good every day. I knew that would be what I’m getting into. I knew I wouldn’t be coming back to put my feet up; I’m coming back and I’m heading into a new season.

“Some of the lads in England are maybe looking at their dates thinking ‘give it another month and I can put my feet up’.

“I could have waited maybe until July and taken it easy and maybe had my June off and come back in in July, but it’s not what I wanted to do. I wanted to be here from the start to give it the best go that I could, so that I could walk away when that happens or if that happens knowing that I’ve given it the best shot I could.”

This year marks the ten year anniversary of the last Premier Division title on Leeside, so does Bennett think this year’s squad good enough to replicate the class of ‘05?

“I think so. I think the experience and the potential is there. Turning potential into results is a whole other thing though. We have to get the performances first, and then there are the results. That’s a whole different challenge that we’ll have to face as a group.

On a personal level, Bennett can’t wait for his first home game back in the Cork City shirt.

“That’s a big part of what I’m really looking forward to. Getting out into Turner’s Cross in front of the Shed-end faithful, and see what’s going on, what kind of songs they come up with and what kind of atmosphere they create. Everything like that.

“I’ve seen some real good nights down in Turner’s Cross, some really, really good nights. If I could just add a few more to the memories over this season, I’ll be a happy man.”