| INTERVIEWS |
| The following are interviews from various magazines and fanzines that John has done throughout his career. |
| BRISTOL ROVERS ONLINE FANZINE 1999 John Sheridan, former Sheffield Wednesday and Eire midfielder is one of many former top flight footballers who were left facing the prospect of dropping down a few rungs in order to keep the dream alive and the former Republic of Ireland star recalls the the day he packed his boot bag and walked sheepishly out of top-flight soccer. He said, "I was on a real downer when I left Bolton because I knew deep down that it was the beginning of the end. But it comes to every player you can't play forever. Once I picked myself up, I just told myself to keep playing as long as I could. The reason I am playing at this level now is nothing to do with my age, it's just that I've had major problems with my knee. If that was still holding up, I really think I would still be playing at the top." Money also becomes an issue for players who are gently shown the door marked 'exit'. Although the searing pain of seeing your weekly wage packet dwindle is tempered somewhat by the face that after raking it in for a decade and a half, the wolf is still far from the door!!! Sheridan also gets to experience the pleasures of travel Second Division style soon after linking up with Oldham, Sheridan adds, "Occasionally we get one or two little treats at Oldham. One of those would deffinitely count as staying overnight instead of getting up early on a Saturday morning and travelling four or five hours before a game. That's the finances of the situation though and we have to accept that because we don't get the crowds." But even after a tiresome trip, the pain of a former top flight soccer star is not yet over. We all know the feeling of anticipation when we realise that we recognise one or two names in the opposition camp. But the contemplation is not one of seeing a fading superstar strut his stuff. Oh no! Instead we gleefully prepare our lungs for a 90 minute verbal assault, hurling as much abuse as possible at yet another "has been". Sheridan insists, "The stadia can be a bit on the dodgy side, as I've found out, but the supporters are the real heroes, because not everyone can support Manchester United. These people are the lifeblood of a club becuase they look at their own and they think they are the best at whatever level they are at." Sheridan, who in his prime made over 460 Premiership appearences for Leeds and Sheffield Wednesday added, "You could go as high as the First Division a few years ago and there were a lot of players who liked a pint or two after the game. On the other hand, the players on �30,000 a week who play in front of the cameras every week have to look after themselves a bit more. That's one of the biggest differences I've found, because at the very top, all your dietary and physical needs are worked out for you and you just stick to the plan. We are expected to look after ourselves at this level and work our own plan out." Improved fitness regimes have generally filtered their way down the leagues, although one more problem facing ageing players, as if they needed it, is the length of time needed to recover between games. So in an ever demanding Premiership, with European games shoehorned into an already crowded domestic fixture list, perhaps we shouldn't be surprised that so many players in their mid 30's now prefer the quieter life of the Nationwide League. Yet the innotation in his voice as he faces up to the bleeding obvious refuses to deflect players like Sheridan, who clearly still yearn for the good old days. "There are still players at 34 and 35 doing a great job in the Premiership," he dreamily confessed. "I was watching Lee Dixon the other night and he's still flying up and down the pitch like a teenager. I still train hard everday, but the injuries are taking longer to get over now. It's a case of calming down a little in training and saving something for a Saturday afternoon. You wouldn't get away with that in the Premiership, and that's why a lot of older players who have had a niggly injury drop down a bit to find their new level." Players like Sheridan are exceeding their welcome in a young man's game. "I'd like to think that we carry a burden of expectation because that's a big part of our roles," concludes Sheridan. "We have an obligation to help the younger players and I think the supporters appreciate that. If we can help them, and the team improves as a result, that makes everything worthwhile." |
| Official Site Interview Click on the link to the official site and go to the Q&A section to hear an interview with John from a couple of weeks ago. |