EXCLUSIVE: Dale Gorman has said he’s loving life as a young professional in England, and that Tuesday’s Capital One League Cup clash with Stoke City has given him a taste of the big time – and he wants more.
Gorman is currently plying his trade with League Two side Stevenage, but on Tuesday night rubbed shoulders with players from the Premier League.
The former Letterkenny Rovers youth player pitted his wits against Glenn Whelan and Joe Allen in the engine room at the Lamex Stadium – in a game which Stoke comfortably won 4-0.
Stoke’s midfield duo played at EURO 2016 for their respective countries, with Allen being named in the EURO 2016 Team of the Tournament.
However, Gorman held his own and was industrious throughout the game earning plaudits from the club’s supporters on their fans forum.
He limped off in the 85th minute, but he confirmed in an exclusive interview with Donegal Daily that he trained yesterday morning and is available for selection for Saturday’s clash with Grimsby.
He’s come a long way since beginning his career with Glencar U12’s under the tutelage of Liam ‘Keadue’ O’Donnell.
Dale was nine at the time, and he was desperate to play, and Liam was forced to ring his father Anthony, also a former professional footballer to see what he’d do with Dale.
Liam told Donegal Daily, “I was taking the Glencar U12’s, and my toes were black and blue from this young fella tramping over them looking to get on every weekend.
“He was only 9, so I was reluctant to put him on, so I rang Anthony and told him he had me tortured to get him on the pitch, and I asked him what did he want me to do with Dale.
“Anthony told me to throw him on, that he’d be grand, and so he was. I played him at right-back, and he was fantastic for me.
“Even at that age, he had incredible desire, he wanted to play, he wanted to learn and he wanted to work hard, I’d never seen drive in a young player like that before.
“He continued to have them traits all the way through his youth career, and it’s no surprise to me that he’s making a living as a professional footballer in England.”
Gorman has impressed so far this season, and gave a MOTM performance as Stevenage stunned Ipswich Town in the previous round of the Capital One Cup.
That set up a dream tie with Stoke City, but there would be no cup fairytale this time, although Gorman relished the experience.
Gorman told Donegal Daily, “It was an amazing experience to play against so many top class professionals, but Tuesday was a big step-up in class, and it was a bit of an eye opener to be honest.
“We played Watford in a pre-season friendly during the summer, and it was tough, but we performed well, and the gulf between the teams wasn’t that much.
“But against Stoke it was evident, some of their players were just fantastic, Joe Allen is smaller than me and isn’t physically strong.
“But his movement, touch, technique and work-rate was just phenomenal – I had to do a lot of running after him!
“They had Peter Crouch and Jon Walters up front, and just had quality all through their side, it was a tough match for us, but it was a great test for us.
“They picked a strong XI, and they showed us plenty of respect, but we were 2-0 down at half-time, and we had to chase it, they picked us off in the second-half and done a professional job on us.”
Gorman is now in his fourth season as a professional, since penning terms with Stevenage in 2013.
The classy midfielder is loving life in England, although he does occasionally miss his hometown of Letterkenny and his mammy’s cooking!
He’s adapted to life well in England, and to the rigorous demands of being a full-time professional footballer.
The Northern Ireland U21 international was in and out of the team last year, but his aim this year is to nail a regular starting spot in Darren Sarll’s side.
Gorman added, “We’ve had six games this year, and I’ve played in three of them, so I’ve been a bit in and out of the team.
“I played the full 90 against Ipswich in the Capital One Cup at Portman Road, and we beat them 1-0, that was an incredible match to play in.
“Mick McCarthy has them well organised and they’re fancied by many to get promotion to the Premier League, but we fully deserved the result.
“I’d love if I could get a good consistent run in the team, but there’s a lot of competition for places and there’s a lot of quality and experience in our squad.
“I’m really settled at Stevenage, it’s a great club and I really want us to do well this season, and I hope I can play a big part.”
Gorman might get back to Donegal for a few days next week as he’s on international duty with Northern Ireland.
They play Iceland next Friday night at Mourneview Park in a European Championship U21 qualifier, and Gorman will be hoping he can impress senior boss Michael O’Neill.
His U21 teammate Michael Duffy, has been called into the full senior squad.
“I’m back next week for an international qualifier against Iceland in Lurgan, so I’m hoping to get home for a few days, I miss mum’s cooking!
“We can’t qualify for next summer’s championship, but it’s an opportunity to impress the senior management, Michael Duffy who was in our U21 squad has been called up.
“So it goes to show you that if you’re performing well, he’s willing to give young players a chance at senior level, so the Iceland match is a good opportunity for me to showcase my abilities and you never know what might happen in the future.”
Gorman is a level headed young man, with a very bright future ahead of him, and he has all the talents and attributes required to carve out a career in England.
Tuesday night has given him a taste of the big time, and don’t bet against the ambitious young midfielder competing against Premier League opposition on a more regular basis in years to come.
He has the desire to reach the top, just ask Liam O’Donnell and his toes!
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