FAI Cup hero hails psychologist for assisting 'full circle moment' after injury nightmare
Conor Kane is an FAI Cup winner after helping to drive Drogheda United to trophy glory at Aviva Stadium
Conor Kane went into the FAI Cup final with a very different modus operandi to two years ago.
In 2022, he was an injured Shelbourne player and his only aim was to be out of his heavy duty leg brace in time to wear his team suit to Aviva Stadium. Kane had dislocated, fractured and tore his patellar tendon and he was sidelined for the best part of a year.
Damien Duff’s Shels lost that final to Derry City and once he got fit, Kane rejoined Drogheda United, having first signed there before the 2017 season. And on Sunday, he was parading around the Aviva Stadium pitch with the FAI Cup in his hands after a starring role for Drogheda in their clinical takedown of Derry.
READ MORE: Ireland legend offers FAI Cup congratulations to Drogheda United
READ MORE: FAI Cup: Drogheda boss Kevin Doherty says 'it's absolutely ridiculous what we've done'
Kane said: “Two years ago, I had a really bad injury. My goal at the final two years ago was to make sure I was out of a brace to look alright in a suit. I made it by a week! But I’ve got here in the end. Nice little redemption. Two years ago, I was (in the stands) thinking about what could be and ‘could I make an impact if I was playing’.”
Even though he didn’t kick a ball in that 2022 decider, Kane admits the experience still stood to him on Sunday even if nerves were a factor.
“In the weeks building up, I was kind of nervous, thinking about walking down the tunnel,” explained the left wing-back. “But I do a lot of work with the PFAI psychologist, and we were just speaking about that over the last couple of weeks. It’s a psychologist for mental health and that sort of stuff, just to help players. It's nice to avail of something like that. It really does make a bit of a difference.
“We were making sure I focused on my job, not doing anyone else's job. It was more practical things, giving yourself practical ways of how to overcome - I'm going a bit heavy here - but anxiety or something like that, performance anxiety.
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"I'm not really suffering from that, because I was playing well. But I just wanted to keep going, an extra gear in myself. Deep breathing and stuff like that - practical thinking. We have a sports chaplain as well at Drogheda, who I speak to very often. It's brilliant just to have that kind of support system. But it's available for everyone in the league and I think a lot of players use it, which is brilliant.”
Kane, 26, continued: “It’s an extra bit of gear really, that’s all it is. You look for everything as a player. You can do as much work in the gym, all that stuff, you can train as hard as you can but you do have to look after yourself upstairs. I always kind of feed into doing meditation, looking after my mind as much as my physical health.”
While everyone behind the scenes at Drogheda United enjoyed the Cup final celebrations long into the night, the players were back training yesterday. They have the small matter of Saturday’s high-stakes promotion-relegation playoff against Bray Wanderers in Tallaght, with the winner playing in the top flight next year.
But Kane revealed how Duff and his former Shels team-mates were quick to get in touch on Sunday, to send their congratulations after the Cup final win. Kane had done the same the week before, when Shels clinched the Premier Division title after their remarkable year.
“When you have a bad injury, as much as you'd like to flick a switch and start playing unbelievably again, it does take time,” he said. “You have to be patient with yourself, you have to be consistent with your work, on and off the pitch. So this is a good moment. It’s kind of a full circle moment.”
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