THEY DON’T COME much bigger than this for League of Ireland sides.
Tonight, Dundalk face Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium in the group stages of the Europa League [KO 8pm].
For everyone involved with the Lilywhites, this is special. But for life-long Arsenal fan Michael Duffy, it’s on another level. Michael ‘Thierry’ Duffy, make that, after Gunners legend Henry.
💬 “Thierry Henry was my idol when I was growing up. I asked for Thierry as my confirmation name. They said no at the start but the teacher came back two weeks later and said he was a saint and that I could have it!”
— DundalkFC (@DundalkFC) October 28, 2020
😂 Michael ‘Thierry’ Duffy.#CmonTheTown #UEL pic.twitter.com/jWnj2LFuxD
Speaking to Dundalk TV after training at the London venue last night, Duffy summed up just how surreal the experience was as an Arsenal supporter and explained how pleased he is that his hopes of drawing the Premier League big guns is now a reality.
“Ah, it’s unbelievable. The pitch is a joke, the stadium is unbelievable. I haven’t even been here to watch a match and now I’m here training on it and going to play a match, it’s class.”
Later in the interview, a question — prompted by team-mate Patrick Hoban — is asked, which brings a huge smile across Duffy’s face: What’s your confirmation name?
“Thierry,” the Derryman grins. “Typical Arsenal fan, I was. Henry was the man.
He was my idol when I was growing up. I asked for Thierry as my confirmation name. They said no at the start but the teacher came back two weeks later and says, ‘He was a saint so you can have it.’”
“It took him a couple of goes to say it,” Duffy laughs when asked about the priest’s reaction.
Looking forward to their glamour Group B tie, the Dundalk winger noted that there’s no pressure on the SSE Airtricity League side as they look to pick up their first points of the campaign.
While Arsenal were 2-1 winners over Austria’s Rapid Wien in their opener, Filippo Giovagnoli’s side were on the losing end of the same result against Molde FK on home soil last week.
“We can just go out and enjoy the night and try to get something from it,” Duffy said.
“Obviously we know how tough it’s going to be but we’ve prepared well and we’ll just see how it goes. Everyone’s buzzing.
“It’s mad, watching them every week playing and now we’re here playing them. It still doesn’t feel like it’s happening but it will tomorrow night come kick-off. We’ll be ready for it anyway.”
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