Postcard from a different world

Sometimes the life of a footballer can lead them to many surprising destinations and Declan O’Brien can certaintly attest to that having made the move to Malta.

The former Drogheda United captain spent seven years establishing himself as a League of Ireland stalwart, but now he plays for a team that is joint top of the Maltese Premier League.

These type of moves often contain a bizarre angle that help explain how a player who hails from Blanchardstown on Dublin’s northside ended up in the sunkissed streets of Sliema.

In O’Brien’s case, it simply comes down to the football. He was on loan with St Patrick’s Athletic last season when his goalscoring exploits helped dump Valletta FC out of the Europa League qualifiers.

While that was an impressive scalp for the Saints, it was also one that the Maltese outfit didn’t forget. So when they heard that O’Brien had become a free agent in November, they made contact.

The 29-year-old decided to take a gamble and link up with Ton Caanen’s side. In his view, he had nothing to lose and all to gain, so he plumped for a new adventure and it is one that he has enjoyed thus far.

“It is a different world out here. The football is different, the culture is different, the weather is different, everything really,” O’Brien told Insider’s View.

“The people are football mad. They are clued in with what’s going on in England, but they prefer Spanish and Italian football – especially Spanish.

“It didn’t take me that long to settle in. The humidity was the only problem, but with the sea breeze coming in that helps and we tend to train later in the afternoons when it is cooler.”

The conditions that O’Brien, nicknamed Fabio, is now used to are certainly quite different from the blustery nights in United Park that he would have experienced when playing for the Boynesiders.

However, he insists that he wouldn’t change a thing about his footballing past as he enjoyed some great days, especially with Drogheda, that included winning the Premier Division, Setanta Sports Cup and FAI Cup.

Besides there is always the chance that he may return to Airtricity League, but for now he is taking advantage of his new surroundings and playing in a foreign league.

“They tend to play a faster, more attacking game here. It is based on the Spanish model – although not quite as good,” he said.

“But there are some very good players. And everything is focused on attacking. Everyone from the fans to the players to the media and even the match officials encourage you to attack.

“It has definitely been a new experience for me and I think that I have done well in the games that I’ve played. I’m glad that I came out here.”

That good form has seen O’Brien score six goals already this season, so he has overcome the hurdle of adapting to an unfamiliar footballing culture.

Whether he will extend his stay in Malta beyond the season’s conclusion in May remains to be seen, but for now he has added a paragraph to his CV that will always remind him of what it was like to thrive in a different world.