John Coady: 'I trained the same way as I played and that helped me with my longevity.'

With a League of Ireland debut at 21, going cross channel aged 26 and still playing domestic senior football just shy of 40, it’s fair to say that John Coady, while a late bloomer, enjoyed a lengthy, rewarding and successful on-field career.

Following youth football with local Dublin clubs Leicester Celtic and Rangers, Coady played in the Leinster Senior League for a number of seasons before going on trial and signing for Shamrock Rovers in 1982.

“I always had League of Ireland ambitions,” said Coady when extratime.com caught up with the 62-year-old recently. “I was playing for YMCA and performing really, really well, so definitely wanted to play at the highest level in the country.”

The Rathmines native went on to be part of Shamrock Rovers dominant four-in-a-row team also winning two FAI Cups with the Hoops, but as a lifelong fan of the club, insists that scoring a brace on his debut, against UCD, after being thrown up front by then manager John Giles, ranks as one of his most cherished moments.

“An extraordinary day all round. It’s definitely one of the highlights of my career. I’m a Shamrock Rovers supporter and basically, playing for your hometown club was a huge thrill for me.”

Catching the eye of Chelsea boss John Hollins in late 1986, Coady headed to London and despite an encouraging start, found himself outside the first team more often than not. Also taking into account the absence of friends and family, at least being a relatively mature age meant a preferable position in which to handle the circumstances.

“I was 26 when I went and in a much better place to be away from home. Although I did have homesickness ... No doubt about it and did suffer from it a little bit, but it soon passed. In comparison to the likes of Tony Cousins and Pat Fenlon, who were there as youth team players when I arrived. You could see that they were really gasping for home on occasions.

"It didn’t work out in the end for me, but a huge thrill to go and play as a professional footballer, which is every schoolboy’s dream ... It certainly was mine. Unfortunately, it wasn’t for me, but at least I gave it a go.”

Leaving Stamford Bridge in 1988, John joined Jim McLaughlin’s Derry City, who in addition to having a hugely talented squad, boasted unprecedented support that travelled the length and breadth of the country in their thousands, acting as the proverbial and collective ‘twelfth man’. This formidable combination saw the Candystripes accumulate a domestic treble during the Dubliner’s maiden season and a couple of subsequent League Cup victories throughout his stay.

“Having those fans was a huge advantage. They were really brilliant. I went there in September and they qualified for the League Cup final against Dundalk in Oriel Park. There were about 6-7,000 Derry supporters at that final and that gave us the impetus to go on and have a very successful season by winning the treble that year.

"The League Cup final was something I’d never experienced before in the League of Ireland and was a whole new beginning. Then onto the FAI Cup final against Cork City. The Derry supporters at the first game and then at replay – it was just a sea of red and white. Then when we won and came back to the Guildhall Square there was 40,000 people to welcome you home ... It was just different class.”

It was around Coady’s 32nd birthday when he departed Derry, but he still managed a return to Shamrock Rovers, two stints with Monaghan United and also spells at Dundalk, Home Farm and Drogheda United before eventually hanging up his boots for good.

“I was a very good trainer and loved training. I think that stood to me as I got older and older. We won a league medal at Dundalk when I was aged 34, so it wasn’t just that I was surviving, but playing at a very high level. It was also down to our coaches at the time. I think that if you’re willing to put it in, you’ll get your rewards out of it.

"That was my philosophy and I tried to pass that on to as many youngsters as I could. I trained the same way as I played and that helped me with my longevity. I also stayed away from any big injuries, which was just pure luck, but good luck at that.”

Ruaidhri Higgins on the cup being a catalyst for the Candystripes https://t.co/V2ZZWShMEdpic.twitter.com/mc8Y8nenlW

— Extratime.com (@ExtratimeNews) November 9, 2022