GARY DICKER HAS endured enough lows in his career to appreciate the highs when they come around – and Wednesday promises to be a memorable night for the Dubliner.
Should Dicker feature for Carlisle United at Anfield this evening in the Capital One Cup, it would represent a remarkable change in fortune for the midfielder.
The 29-year-old returned to pre-season training at Brunton Park to be told he was being placed on the transfer list because the manager, Keith Curle, couldn’t guarantee him game time.
Fast forward two months and Dicker has worked his way back into the reckoning and has re-established himself as an integral part of Carlisle’s midfield.
“It’s been a strange start to the season alright,” Dicker tells The42. “I probably didn’t expect to play but I came back in pre-season, worked hard and got my chance.
“I don’t think I’ve let anyone down since and I’ve done well. It’s been a great start for me personally.”
Dicker has appeared in seven of Carlisle’s eight league outings but it was the Capital One Cup which gave him the platform to prove his worth.
A starring performance in the 3-1 victory over Chesterfield in early August served as a reminder of Dicker’s ability and value and the former Ireland underage international admitted being placed on the transfer list acted as motivation.
“There were a few of us in the same boat but we were treated as normal,” he continues.
“It’s quite normal at this level and whether you’re on the list or not, you’re always playing for your place and ultimately a contract.
“I don’t let it get me down because I’ve been through it all before and it’s just part of the job. A day in football is a long time and I now know that things can change very quickly.
“It does, however, give you that drive to prove people wrong.”
Dicker has experienced his fair share of setbacks.
Less than two years ago, the former UCD man was on the brink of promotion to the Premier League with Brighton. But the Seagulls went crashing out of the play-offs and Dicker was shown the exit door at the Amex Stadium.
A period in the wilderness followed. Spells at Rochdale and Crawley were short-lived before he eventually secured a contract at Carlisle, although not before a period of unemployment as a free agent.
“You can be in one place one day and another the next – it’s happened to me,” he continues. “You take it day by day.
“You can’t get too down on the lows and not too high on the highs. I want to get back to playing where I was but at the moment I’m just concentrating on staying fit and playing as many games as I can.”
His outlook has been shaped by previous experiences. Just when it seemed his career was back on track with Carlisle, the arrival of Curle as manager threatened to derail it all again.
In February, Dicker was fined by the club for refusing to do extra training sessions scheduled for players not in the first team. He hadn’t played in 13 weeks after falling out of favour.
“I wasn’t treated any differently,” he says of his time out of the first-team picture. “Nobody was pushed to the side and left to rot but that’s just football – it wouldn’t happen in any other job.”
It was a far cry from the heights he reached on the south coast with Brighton under the tutelage of Gus Poyet but tonight offers Dicker the chance to return to the big stage.
“You’re in the shop window every day because you don’t know who’s watching the game whether it’s York away or Liverpool away.
“The league is obviously where you want to be doing your best but it’s a great bonus for us to get a game against one of the big boys.
“There’s no pressure on you but you don’t want to go out and get hammered or be embarrassed so there’s a different kind of pressure.”
Carlisle have already beaten higher-ranked opposition in this competition having gone to Loftus Road and defeated QPR. It was on the bus home from London when the team discovered their opponents for the next round.
“We were all watching on the bus and all the lads went mental to be honest. It’s a great bonus for the club and we’re on a half decent run ourselves so we’ll be going there not just to roll over but enjoy it.
“The pressure will all be on them as they haven’t had a great start and they’ll see this game as the one to get their season going so I think the pressure is on them but you want to go there and enjoy it and not let it pass.”
During his time at Brighton, the Seagulls went to Anfield twice for cup ties but on both occasions, Dicker was forced to sit in the stands through injury.
As a boyhood Liverpool fan, this time around will be extra poignant.
“It’s a great opportunity, it’s like a free audition,” Dicker adds. “Hopefully we can do well and do our 6,000 travelling fans proud.
“Maybe I haven’t celebrated the highs as much as I should have down the years. I’ll be sure to take it all in and enjoy every second of it.
“To walk out at Anfield and play in-front of the Kop will be a great achievement. I enjoy just playing football but Wednesday will be a bit more special.”
