Name Changed
weso26
I was just reading various things on the net and came across a very interesting piece written by Kevin Grogan. For anyone who doesn't know, Grogan was a hugely talented young Dublin lad who was at United as a youth. He was touted as being a future star but a few horrendous injuries wrecked his career. He was part of Ireland's u-16 European Championship winning team a few years ago.
Anyway, this is a nice little article written by him. In it, he talks about various things including SAF holding a machete up towards him!!
Anyway, this is a nice little article written by him. In it, he talks about various things including SAF holding a machete up towards him!!
Kevin Grogan
Kevin Grogan joined Belvedere when he was 12. Like almost everyone else who pulls on the sky blue jersey, he had dreams of becoming a professional footballer. He achieved that dream - and how - as he was signed by Manchester United. But not every dream has a happy ending. This is Kevin's story.
IT was the day of my 21st birthday, November 15, and when I got up out of bed that morning I should have been buzzing with the realisation that I had come of age.
But I wasn't. Four weeks previously I'd had four injections into my pelvis in a bid to keep me playing and ensure my career as a professional footballer with Millwall Football Club stayed on track.
But the pain had come back and I knew the injections hadn't worked. The plan had been to have a course of these injections at the start of every season for the rest of my career so I knew the game was finally up.
I knew my body better than most at that stage. Since joining Manchester United as a 15-year-old in 1997 I'd had three operations, ten injections and been examined by some of the top specialists in Britain and Ireland.
I had physiotherapy and long bouts of rest and chased every possible chance of a cure, but I had now reached the stage where I felt I had put my body through as much physical stress that it could possibly cope with.
Later that morning I was examined by the Millwall physio, Gerry Doherty, and a few tests confirmed my worst fears. He didn't have to say anything; his face said it all.
He tried to be upbeat and didn't want to commit himself to any prognosis until the club doctor or a specialist had seen me.
But I was realistic enough to read between the lines. It was over!
Since I was eight I had dreamed of being a professional footballer. I was inspired by Euro '88 and started playing in a field beside my parents' house in Sutton before joining Seagrange in Baldoyle when I was eight.
I was always very single-minded and, even though everybody wanted to be a professional football, I knew I was going to be one.
When I was 12 I joined Belvedere and began paying against the top schoolboys clubs in Dublin. A trial at Millwall was quickly followed by an invitation to go over to Manchester United.
The five day trial involved training and matches and I was happy with the way I performed.
On the last day United's Irish scout Joe Corcoran brought me to see the first team training and I stood at the bottom of the stairs at The Cliff getting autographs from the players as they walked past.
Then Alex Ferguson appeared at the top of the stairs and roared: "Grogan, get up here."
When I got into his office and closed the door he took a Machete out of his draw, caught me in a headlock and put the knife to my throat. "I'm the boss," he said.
That was some introduction, but, once those pleasantries were finished, he sat me down and told me how well I had done over the week.
He told me to keep my feet on the ground and said that if I kept improving that they would be keen to sign me when I turned 16.
When I was leaving his office he called me back and asked me who I supported. I turned around and, without thinking, said "Liverpool". Out came the Machete again and, with a wry smile, he repeated the question and added: "You are one of us now son."
I kept going over to United for a few more years and my interest in Millwall waned after Mick McCarthy left to take over Ireland.
In 1997, after sitting my Junior Cert, I decided to spend my transition year at United rather than accept the three year contract they were offering.
It was the sensible approach, because I reasoned that if it didn't work out I could come back and start studying for my Leaving Cert. I was lucky to have plenty of good people advising me.
I went over in July and, after two or three months, I knew that this was what I wanted. I felt comfortable living away from home and, even though I did miss my family and friends, my determination to succeed meant I wasn't going to let homesickness get in the way.
I signed my three year contract in 1998, near the end of the season and just before I left for the European U-16 Championships with Ireland.
It's always an honour to play for your country but that squad was particularly special. They were a great bunch of lads and in Brian Kerr and Noel O'Reilly we had two great coaches. In England the underage coaches tend to be very aggressive but Brian and Noel treated us like adults, always gave us respect and had a great influence on all our careers.
I remember us standing around Brian one day at Clonshaugh and listening to him tell us that we were not going to Scotland to make up the numbers, we were going to win.
It was a great feeling to be part of the first Irish team to win a European trophy and we got a huge welcome home in Dublin. But I was sensible enough to realise that, even though I had achieved a lot over the previous 18 months, it was nothing to what I wanted in the future.
By this stage I had experienced slight growing pains in my knees but it wasn't really a cause for concern because most young players suffer from it. All it meant was that I occasionally had to step back from training and match to rest.
But when I returned to United in July 1998 I started getting problems with my groin, hip and pelvis. I played through the pain barrier because I didn't want to miss matches or training and, in hindsight, it was probably the wrong thing to do.
I eventually underwent two operations on my Gilmore's Groin in 1998, my first big set-back on the road to making it as a professional footballer. After my rehab I got back playing and just picked up where I left off. I was playing well and everybody was happy with me.
But I was still feeling pain in my pelvis and hip and United sent me to dozens of doctors all over England in a bid to find out what was wrong.
It was eventually discovered that I had a lot of bone erosion in my pelvis, which for a 16-year-old, was horrific according to the doctors.
The cause was chronic overuse, which is not surprising as English clubs place a heavy emphasis on young players undergoing intensive physical training.
On the continent they assume young players are naturally fit and concentrate on developing players' skills which is why they produce better technical players.
The remedy suggested for me was rest. But as the 1998-99 season drew to a close we were in the running for U-17 Academy League and they wanted me back.
I got several cortisone injections into my groin, and although I had been a bit fearful when I heard the word cortisone, they worked.
I got back playing and we won the league while Teddy Sheringham, who had been my constant companion in rehab, also returned to score in the Champions League Final.
I had watched players like Roy Keane and seen how single-minded they were. I knew if I didn't have a work ethic, to go along with my ability, I wouldn't make it.
I went back for pre-season in 1999 knowing it was a big year as my contract was up in the summer of 2000. If I kept myself fit, I was good enough to get a new contract.