Foley Could Have Been Playing for Reading
Tuesday, 2nd Feb 2016 06:00

Kevin Foley could have been playing for Reading, tonight’s visitors to Portman Road, had things worked out differently a few months back.

Foley had been playing in Denmark with FC Copenhagen but after dislocating a shoulder in his first game he only managed a handful of appearances before heading home in search of a new club in order to continue a career that started with Luton, continued at Wolves and saw him capped eight times by the Republic of Ireland.

He explained: “It was quite frustrating in Denmark really. I enjoyed it as a new culture to me and something different but dislocating my shoulder set me back.

“It was stop-start from there really but thankfully I did manage a few games over there. At the end of the season I had to have surgery straight away.

“I was really eager to get back in and although I wouldn’t have changed anything I would have loved to have played a bit more football out there.

“But sometimes you just can’t help these things. It was tough being in Denmark on my own because my family remained in England.

“If it had gone well they would have come out to join me but that’s not the way it happened. However, there were some great lads there and the physio was an Irish guy who helped me along.

“The negative was that I was injured for a while but the positives were experiencing a different culture and a different way of football, and I think it has helped me since I came back.

“Maybe in the future, if I do some coaching, I’ve had a real insight into how they do things over there just from being on the sidelines watching.

“I had never really considered living abroad. You don’t see too many British or Irish players going abroad because the football’s so good in this country.

“I was at Wolves and I wasn’t getting involved too much when the opportunity came my way. I spoke to my wife and kids, and I just thought it would be too good an opportunity to turn down.

“I’m glad I went — I saw a different way of life and different type of football completely different to the Championship.

“I was talking to Jonas [Knudsen] about how much slower the tempo is over there compared to here and he admitted it had come as a bit of a shock to him. But he has adjusted to it now and nothing beats playing good, solid Championship football.”

Foley trained with Shrewsbury before being invited to Reading and he takes up the story: “I went there for a couple of weeks of training.

“It went quite well but then the manager, Steve Clarke, went to Fulham for an interview and the next day he told me that he couldn’t sign me, so that was that.

“Because I felt it had gone quite well I was a bit disappointed but that’s football. A couple of weeks later he got the sack anyway so it was just one of those things.

“I know Reading and they have some very good players. They have plenty of quality and I watched the game against Ipswich earlier in the season. The boys will be looking to get their revenge for that one.

“I have no hard feelings. I went in there and the minimum I got out of it was that I got fit from two weeks of good training.

“I can’t complain — some things are just not meant to be. Now I’m here and I’m 100 per cent focused on being an Ipswich player and getting in the team.”

Photo: Action Images

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