Derry City captain Patrick McEleney 'desperate' to win this Sunday

Patrick McEleney believes that Derry City must take the emotion out of Sunday’s game if they are to come home with the club’s sixth FAI Cup.

The 30-year-old knows everything there is to know about the biggest day in Irish football having been involved in seven FAI Cup finals to this point in his career. Some of his best moments in football have come at the Aviva Stadium, having won the cup with Derry City back in 2012, and then scoring the winner for Dundalk against Cork City back in 2018. But if he successful this time around, it will top everything that has come before.

“The first thing you need is good players and you need a togetherness to keep pushing on, but we’re really looking forward to it now,” he said.

“The message is don’t be playing an emotional match. Put the emotion aside. I’ve been there when I was young and everything was drowning me basically. You’re that focused on trying to win and there’s all the surroundings, but you just have to cancel it out because it’s a game of football.

“It’s a big difference between winning and losing a final. It’s not the same Christmas to be honest. Everybody is different, but it ruins me for a few months to be honest, so that’s why I put so much, not pressure, but I’m just desperate to win and I’ll do anything I can to make sure we win.”

The Patrick McEleney which walked out with Derry City back in 2012 is a shadow of the Patrick McEleney who will LEAD Derry City out as captain, a player who has matured and developed into a winner. With three league titles, three FAI Cups and three League Cups, not to mention Presidents Cups and Europa League Group stage football, McEleney has become one of the most successful players in Irish football history.

“Everything has changed,” he agreed. “I’m definitely more mature and I have more game understanding as well as a whole lot of other things. To be honest, I think this is the final I’ve been looking forward to most in my career. I don’t know whether it’s because I’m captain or because I’m putting demands on myself to win things but I can’t wait for it.

“There’s no doubt about it, going to Dundalk at that stage and going into a dressing room full of winners, that changed my mindset a bit. You look at Stevie O’Donnell and boys like that who was obviously club captain at the time, they have taught me a new way of thinking since I went there; Stephen Kenny is obviously a massive part of it too, but I do think I’ve had a mindset switch since I went to Dundalk and came back and I think it’ for the better.

“When I was younger I was kind of a stand still number ten or I would have played off the left and waited for the ball to come to me, but I think it’s a winning mentality where you’re trying to do everything now and trying to do everything you can to win the game. I’m enjoying the role and I’m still learning at it. I said in previous interviews that I’ve had one goal this year which is not good enough for me, but it’s about learning the role and staying injury free. I think this is the best I’ve felt in a long time now going into a final so I’m really looking forward now to the weekend.”

Big stage

In 1989, it was Felix Healy, in 1995 it was Stuart Gauld, in 2002 it was Liam Coyle, in 2006 it was Peter Hutton, in 2012 it was Rory Patterson – FAI Cup finals provide players with the opportunities to write their names into folklore. McEleney doesn’t care who it is this weekend as long as they are wearing red and white.

“It’s up to individuals to step up in moments, that’s what finals come down to,” he agreed. “Sometimes it’s just made for somebody. In all the finals I’ve played in, some of them we’ve played really well and we’ve lost, and in others I haven’t played well, but I’ve scored the winner and got ‘Man of the Match’. Grab your moments is the message.

“I don’t think I’ve been looking forward to a match as much in my life. I’m just so desperate for us to win; it’s brilliant for the city and I think the city deserves it. It’s been through so much obviously with the likes of Ryan and Mark and it’s the least the club deserves and I think the players need to understand that too.”