COLM WHELAN is confident he can be the missing piece in Bohemians’ jigsaw.
In years to come, Whelan may become the answer to a quiz question as a player whose last and first games for two different clubs were at the Aviva Stadium.
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He came on as a substitute for Derry City in last month’s FAI Cup final and should make his Bohs debut in their league opener against Shamrock Rovers in February.
The Kilkenny man will hope for a better outcome as he looks to kickstart his career
The loss to Drogheda United probably summed up the luckless forward’s spell with the club.
He was signed by the Candystripes two years ago when he was still recovering from a cruciate ligament injury suffered when with UCD.
His comeback was aborted by a fresh tear and he was used sparingly towards the end of the season after completing the rehab for a second time.
But his record at UCD and, briefly, Derry suggests he is exactly what Bohs need.
Alan Reynolds’ side won plenty of praise for their build-up play but lacked someone to put away chances, with James Clarke frequently used as a makeshift striker.
And Whelan said: “Rennie would have spoken to me all about that and I would have played against them a couple of times last year.
“And I would have watched some of their games towards the end and they were crying out for someone to put the ball in the net really and I’m hoping that’s what I can do.
“I’m confident. I think for me the most important thing for me is to get back on the pitch and playing regularly and hopefully that will come.”
He goes back with Rennie as far as Waterford where he made his first-team debut aged 17 whilst they also worked together for Ireland’s under-21s and briefly Derry.
Last season was a huge disappointment for Bohs and they returned to pre-season training in the first week of December in a bid to improve their fortunes in 2025.
It is the earliest he is back but he is not complaining as he looks to settle in a way which proved difficult at Derry given his injury,
He said: “I’ve missed the last couple of pre-seasons being injured so I’m looking forward to getting properly fit.
“The best way to get to know all of the lads is on the pitch and the best way they are going to become mates with you is when you’re playing and scoring, to get respect from them.
“It was hard that way but hopefully that comes now.
“The last couple of years have been really hard. I came back, I was scoring and then got injured again.
“I went from the highest of the high to the lowest of the low but I suppose I knew what was ahead of me and I just had to do that again.
“But I kept wanting that moment to come back and score goals and hopefully that comes for me this year.
“I did feel ready for more minutes earlier than I got last season but it was kind of the way it worked out.
“Derry were under a lot of pressure at that time and it was hard to throw me in so I understood why I wasn’t.”
PITCH PERFECT
Whelan admitted that the artificial pitch was a factor in him deciding to move on but said it was not the only factor.
He said: “It played a part alright but I suppose I just felt I needed to go somewhere where I was going to play more minutes. I was looking at lads ahead of me last year so I needed to go and get a fresh start.”
And he hopes to start with a bang at Lansdowne Road.
He said: “I got to play there about a month ago and then my next game will be in the Aviva. It’s obviously exciting.
“That was my first time playing in it. Hopefully this will be a better outcome. You couldn’t ask for a better first game and hopefully there’s a good crowd.”
