IRISH DAILY STAR Saturday April 25 2020 23 24 IRISH DAILY STAR Saturday April 25 2020
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IRISH DAILY STAR Saturday April 25 2020 23 24 IRISH DAILY STAR Saturday April 25 2020 WORLD AT HIS FEET: SLOW living. This is life in Wolves and Ireland the Premier League now. star Matt Doherty is at STEPHEN Matt Doherty should be pre- the peak of his powers paring for the visit of Everton to for club and country; Molineux this afternoon. (far left) after scoring He should be bang in the mid- the winning goal HAS GOT dle of that manic period of the against Manchester season where titles are won and City at Molineux lost, heroes and villains are earlier this season A GOOD made. and (middle) with He should be starting to think Wolves boss Nuno about tickets to the Europa Espirito Santo League nal in Gdansk for his PEDIGREE family. Instead, he’s at home like nDavid COUGHLAN everyone else. “We have two kids here, so I MATT DOHERTY is look- guess we’re occupied for a lot of ing forward to sampling the time,” he says. football the Stephen “Two-and-a-half and one- Kenny way when interna- and-a-half. So they’re at the tional action finally stage where they can open returns. doors, get down the stairs, so Kenny (below) will take you’ve got to keep an eye on charge for Ireland’s them all the time. European Championship “You kind of get yourself into play-off against Slovakia a bit of a routine daily, even it’s and Doherty has been the smallest routine, just to keep impressed with what he’s a bit of structure in your seen from the Dubliner’s day. high-flying Under-21 “You’re so used to having a side. routine with training, so it’s “Hopefully he does a different, but I’m surviving, it’s David David great job for us. We all not much of a problem.” David want to qualify,” says Doherty has been a standout COUGHLAN COUGHLANDoherty. star in another standout season COUGHLAN REPORTS COMMENT“I know he’s done a for Wolves. EXCLUSIVE fantastic job for the 21s The Swords native celebrated [email protected] [email protected] in the League of his 250th appearance for the [email protected] Ireland, so I’m looking Old Gold with a precious goal in forward to working with a 3-2 win at Tottenham last him. month. “I didn’t see much of Was it really just last month? his Dundalk team, but I Wolves were in sixth, two know they’ve been quite points off a Champions League dominant, so he was spot (if Manchester City’s ban is obviously doing a good upheld) and in the last-16 of the job there.” Europa League when the season Positive was put on ice. Doherty scored against Now there’s only uncertainty. Denmark at the Aviva in “You don’t know. You don’t David David the 1-1 draw last even have a date of when you’re David November that sent going to return,” says the Ireland into the play-offs 28-year-old. COUGHLAN COUGHLANfor next year’s resched- Exciting COUGHLAN REPORTS uledCOMMENT Euros. EXCLUSIVE REPORTS AndCOMMENT he believes the “You don’t have a date of when [email protected] [email protected] were positive you can really leave the house [email protected] against the Danes. properly. “That was a difficult “So it is difficult to look for- night because we didn’t ward, but I know it will nish at qualify, but performance- some point, hopefully it’s not wise I was happy with my too long. performance and happy “It was looking very exciting with the team’s perfor- with nine games to go in the mance,” he says. league, but when we get back “I think it was a posi- playing that excitement won’t tive night for Irish be there because there won’t be football even though we any fans in the stadiums. didn’t qualify. “There won’t be any “I was able to move on atmosphere. can’t get rid of me, I’m actually (to Wolves), my body was quickly because I had “Health comes rst and when- playing games. sharper to the speed of things.” to. ever we do get back out there we GREEN“That lls me with great It was another ex-Belvedere AND GOLD David COUGHLAN David “ThatCOUGHLAN was a Tuesday just have to make sure that, David COUGHLAN pride.” defender Leigh Swords miss- REPORTS night and we had a gameCOMMENT even though it will be different, EXCLUSIVE The story of his move to ing out on the famous REPORTS on the Saturday. OnceCOMMENT we still have to do the job and EXCLUSIVE England is the stuff of comic pre-season friendly with inju- [email protected] you’re [email protected] over here stay professional.” [email protected] books. ry, which opened the door for your attention turns to He knows from experience. Doherty had 15 unsuccessful Doherty. the other part of your job Wolves’ last game was the 1-1 trials across the water and was which is club football.” something as a family we under Mick McCarthy, before a “I haven’t (ever discussed it draw with Olympiacos played in believe in and carry forward,” couple of brief loan spells at in the reserves at Bohemians with him),” he says. an empty stadium near Athens he says. Hibs and Bury. before his sliding doors moment “You lose contact over time. just before the shutters came “It’s denitely something that Since then, he’s been ever- came in July 2010. Leigh Swords at the time was down on sport worldwide in I go back to and lean on in a lot present throughout Wolves’ McCarthy brought Wolves to probably one of the best right- March. of situations. rise from League One to Dalymount for a pre-season backs in the country. For now the hustle and bustle “I don’t get to practice it that European football. friendly as part of the Stephen of Super Sunday has become often. My dad does all the prac- If the surroundings have Ward deal a year earlier and Flukey just a walk in the park with ticing back home with the changed, Doherty’s drive Pat Fenlon threw Doherty into “I was half a centre-back at partner Nikkea and daughters family. So whenever I’m back hasn’t. a makeshift side. the time, it was all a bit Nya and Sia. home I jump back into it. “It’s not changed my attitude. Wolves scout Willie Byrne ukey.” Match of the Day has been and McCarthy liked what they 10 years ago he was working I’ve always had the same atti- € replaced by online quiz night Longest tude, always want to go as far saw and a few weeks later he for 200-a-week for his dad at with his family in Swords. “I still do little bits and pieces as you possibly can,” he was at Molineux. the family carpet cleaning “I think my sister Rachel won here and there for myself. I says. He’s never looked back. business. the last one after a play-off, believe in it, so I still carry out “All the players have changed, “It was something like 15 tri- Last year he signed a new she’d be the smartest one,” he some parts of it.” except for me — I know Conor als, but I never really performed four-year deal at Wolves says, risking recriminations Doherty is the longest-serv- Coady has been here for a while that well when I was over believed to be worth in the from his other four sisters and ing member of the current also. there,” he says. “It wasn’t a region of €55,000 a week. one brother — not to mention Wolves squad —David having been at COUGHLAN“I’m the only one who has huge surprise that I didn’t go “It just matured me really. his parents Tom and Joni. the club through eight differ- been here since the League One away based on my actual trials. Made me realise what hard Family and faith have played a ent managers and a change of days and still contributing, EXCLUSIVEI just didn’t perform, the work was. And what I didn’t big part in his rise to the top. ownership. still playing, not just here. standard and the pace of it. want to do,” he says. “Our whole family are Born He made his debut [email protected] “I’m not in the stands, I’m not “That probably worked in my “Probably made me realise Again Christians. That is Doncaster way back in 2011 part of the squad and they favour when I went over at 18 the path that I wanted to take. IRISH DAILY STAR Saturday April 25 2020 25 NATIONAL PRIDE: Doherty heads home for a late Byrne equaliser in last year’s Euro 2020 qualifier draw against Denmark at the Aviva Stadium recalls Matt’s magic nDavid COUGHLAN FORMER Wolves scout Willie Byrne remembers the night that Matt Doherty’s life changed forever. Doherty had yet to play a senior game for Bohs when he was drafted into the side to face Wolves in a pre-season friendly. “It was a Saturday night in Dalymount. Mick had the first team over as promised,” says Byrne. “That was part of the deal when they signed Wardy (Stephen Ward) the previous year.