JUST LIKE THE road to Cork from his native Belmullet, the journey back to full fitness has been long and often tedious for Gary Boylan. Now that it’s behind him, the 22-year-old right-back is eager to justify his new manager’s decision to bring him south.
“It was very satisfying to be back out on the pitch. To get two games then in the space of 10 days was brilliant,” says Boylan, who played all 90 minutes of Cork City’s EA Sports Cup win over Cobh Ramblers on Monday. He completed his comeback from injury on 23 March as a substitute in the Munster Senior Cup final victory against Midleton.
“I was a bit stiffer than normal when I woke up on Tuesday morning, although I thought I’d be worse. It obviously takes a while to build the match fitness up again, but the knee felt strong so I was happy enough. I’m ready to kick on from here now.”
Over 10 months have passed since Boylan featured in an SSE Airtricity League Premier Division fixture. While playing for Sligo Rovers at Derry City, he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament in the 17th minute of his side’s 2-0 victory. A month later, he went under the knife as he came to terms with the first major injury of his career.
“It hit me hard when I got the news that it was the cruciate,” he says. “From there, I suppose there’s two ways you can go about it: feel sorry for yourself and not do your rehab properly, or crack on and give it everything you have. I’d like to think I’ve put in a serious amount of effort over the last few months to get myself right.
“But there were some very, very tough days. There were times when I’d be in the gym and the knee might not feel as good as the day before, which is tough psychologically because you start wondering if you’re really making progress. Breaking it down into stages worked for me, but it’s definitely something I wouldn’t want to go through again.
“It’s a very lonely thing to do. You’re in the gym on your own every morning from Monday to Friday, and then there might be a jog in the evening on your own as well. Except for meeting the physio once or twice a week, you’re on your own the entire time.
“The whole experience puts you to the test. It was good to go in and mix with the Sligo Rovers lads every so often, but I generally found it hard even to go to games as a spectator. It’s just a situation where you have to get the head down and drive yourself on.”
The long absence didn’t deter Cork City manager John Caulfield, who signed the versatile operator ahead of the 2019 season. Boylan had been mulling over his future, with options available to him across a couple of codes.
In addition to making his first-team debut for Sligo Rovers in 2014, he played Gaelic football at Croke Park for the Mayo minors. As a half-forward, Boylan kicked four points in their All-Ireland semi-final defeat to Kerry.
“Coming up towards last November, I was about halfway through rehabbing the injury and I wasn’t sure which way I was going to go, in terms of which club I was going to play for or if I was going to go back playing Gaelic football. I really wasn’t sure,” he explains.
“As soon as I spoke to John [Caulfield] and he told me he was interested in bringing me down here, I didn’t have to think twice. To get a call from such a big club when you’re coming back from a long-term injury is a serious boost to your confidence.
“It was a huge opportunity to join a club who are challenging for trophies and playing in Europe every year. Turner’s Cross was probably always my favourite away venue too, so it was a no-brainer. I can’t thank John enough for putting faith in me.”
While he was thrilled to see his native county winning the National Football League title at Croker last Sunday, Boylan has no regrets about choosing to forge a different path. There was contact from the Mayo senior set-up again over the winter, but for the time being at least, it’s an option he’s not ready to pursue.
“I did speak to one or two people on the management team,” he says. “It did come into my head every time my contract at Sligo was up, and I always had contact from someone involved with Mayo GAA. I have given it a lot of thought. But once I knew Cork City were interested, my mind was only on one thing.
“If the soccer isn’t working out a couple of years down the line and I feel it’s time for a change, Gaelic football is definitely something I’d love to fall back on. I’m lucky to have that there. But at the minute I’m not thinking about anything other than Cork City and that’ll be the case for the next while.”
Boylan’s return to action provides a timely boost for John Caulfield, who lost Colm Horgan to injury in the first half of Cork City’s defeat at Dundalk last week. Caulfield could shift Conor McCarthy to the right side of his back four, but a first league outing for Boylan since last June is also an option for tonight’s visit of Shamrock Rovers.
Having played two games more than their rivals in the upper echelons of the table, Rovers have opened up a seven-point lead over champions Dundalk. City’s inconsistent campaign so far has seen them collect just 10 points from a possible 21.
“The start hasn’t been as good as what the lads here have had for the last few seasons, but there’s still so much football to be played — we’re only seven league games in,” Boylan says.
“There are enough lads in the dressing room who know how to win games and win trophies. The mood in the camp is good as well. There’s definitely more to come from this group. The Shamrock Rovers game is a great chance to get back on track.”
Premier Division
First Division
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