Hoops' Corry hungry to be back playing

After over 18 months out with injury, Paul Corry was delighted to start his first competitive game on Tuesday evening for Shamrock Rovers in their EA Sports Cup quarter-final win over Longford Town.

Speaking after the match, Corry detailed his frustratingly long road back to fitness and also how he continues to be affected by the serious knee injury he picked up towards the end of a four year playing spell in the UK.

“In terms of managing it, training every day during the week is probably an unrealistic target,” said Corry about his knee injury. “I can’t really do the same workload as the other lads can.

"I probably miss one training session during the week that the lads will do. It isn’t going to be a problem going forward, it is just about managing the workload.”

Having required surgery during his time with Northampton, he then had to overcome a knock picked up in training with Rovers at the start of this season.

“I tore the meniscus in my knee. I spoke to the surgeon in the UK and he recommended that I put a lubricant in the knee to try and smooth over the tear. I had that done and it was a case of giving that time to kick in.

“It was massively frustrating as I’d been out for the guts of 16 months already. The extent of my injury first time around was messy.

“The most frustrating thing as a footballer is not being able to play. I’ve nearly been pulling my hair out watching from the stands in the last couple of weeks because I’d a very frustrating time in the UK as in the last two years at Sheffield Wednesday I didn’t play too much. I was contemplating coming back home and I signed for Northampton and then was out for a year.”

Corry hopes he has put those difficulties behind him as he gets back playing, having come off the bench last Friday and starting on Tuesday. “It was enjoyable. It was good to be back and put some minutes into the legs and get the rust off the boots.

Great to be back out there tonight ???????? Something to build on and a semi final to look forward to

— Paul Corry (@paul_corry) May 2, 2017

“[The injury] is the kind of thing you don’t really want to think about and you just put to the back of your mind. There is a massive sense of relief with everyone connected with me like friends and family and particularly the medical staff.”

Having been injured for so long he just wants to concentrate on football and not have to give regular updates to those who were kindly asking about his progress. “I almost feel I could record myself in the phone and play it to everyone I see as I always seem to be saying the same story over and over again!”

Corry anchored the Rovers midfield in Tuesday’s game in Tallaght, alongside Sam Bone, in a 4-2-3-1 system. At 26 years old, Corry was the second oldest starter for the Hoops in that match.

Stephen Bradley’s starting XI had an average age of just 20.6 with 17-year-old Dean Dillon the match winner on the night. His late goal sent Rovers into their sixth successive EA Sports semi-final.

Dean Dillon scores the winner for @ShamrockRovers@ExtratimeNewspic.twitter.com/swdTvKXvHt

— Michael P Ryan (@ryanmilestone) May 2, 2017

“Winning is a habit and that is where we need to start heading at the moment,” said Corry who is keen to play his part on the pitch. “I’ve a serious hunger to get back in and around the team.

"I feel that when I’m in the team I will have an impact. Hopefully I can give the manager a headache and push towards that starting XI. The way he and everyone at the club wants to play suits the way I play.”

The Hoops welcome the champions Dundalk to Tallaght in league action this Friday as the second series of league games start with Rovers well off the title pace. Corry reckons that Rovers are better placed coming into this fixture than when they played on opening night of the season – a game which Dundalk won 2-1 in Oriel Park.

“When we went through the first round of fixtures and played the likes of Dundalk and Cork it was probably just game management and keeping opponents at bay was what we probably lacked. Second time around we are more prepared for that.”