Hull City v Sheffield United: Conor Coady living dream on loan from Anfield
Liverpool loanee hopes FA Cup run with Sheffield United will be launchpad for a career at the highest level
Daring To dream: Sheffield United loanee Conor Coady with the FA Cup Photo: MARTYN HARRISON
By
Henry Winter, Football Correspondent
5:38PM BST 12 Apr 2014
4 Comments
Conor Coady is so popular that a quiet chat with
Sheffield United'sexciting young midfielder on loan from Liverpool turns into a mass participation event. Constant interruptions to the conversation also served to highlight the dressing-room camaraderie and total belief in the manager, Nigel Clough, that give the League One side a chance against Premier League Hull City in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley.
As Coady started to relate his fascinating story about
Liverpool, Sheffield United and the rarity of being an Englishman who lifted an international trophy, Clough appeared in the doorway. “We’re just talking about the game on Sunday, gaffer,” Coady explained.
“You playing, are you?” Clough replied. “Couple of good games and he thinks he’s playing!”
“No, no, no! I’ve not said once I’m playing. I’m just saying how much you’ve improved me.”
“What – asking you to run forward?!” Clough deadpanned. “Well, you have scored a few goals.”
The 21-year-old beamed at the praise. Clough has been so important in the latest stage of Coady’s story, a story that started on Merseyside, joining Liverpool’s academy at 12, playing for Rainford Rangers in St Helens and always a regular on the Kop. The potential trappings of the professional game, the fast cars and flash lifestyle, have never interested Coady.
“I’m not bothered about all that. It’s just football. I don’t care about anything else. I’ve been brought up in a family that just loves football. My little brother plays at Liverpool in the under-13s. All my family are Reds, season-tickets on the Kop. I started watching Liverpool on the Kop; my earliest memories were 2000 onwards when Liverpool won the Treble under Gérard Houllier.
“Steven Gerrard has always been my idol. He’s a leader. You get excited when he gets on the ball. You know something’s going to happen. I’ve been to Wembley once before – to watch Liverpool in the Carling Cup final against Cardiff in 2012.”
As he rose through the Liverpool ranks, making two first-team appearances, Coady was an established star with England age-groups. The high point was captaining the Under-17s to the European Championship title in Liechtenstein in May 2010, becoming the first England player to lift a trophy since Darren Caskey led the Under-18s of Gary Neville, Sol Campbell, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and Robbie Fowler to European glory in 1993.
“During the tournament, people were mentioning England hadn’t won a tournament for so long,” Coady recalled. “But we always knew we had the players. We had Josh McEachran, Connor Wickham, Benik Afobe and Ross Barkley, players who could win you games. Nothing fazes Ross. He’s the nicest man you’ll ever meet and a fantastic player. He’ll do massive things in his career for Everton and England. He’s starting to run games now like the game against Arsenal.”
Barkley’s current team-mate, Gerard Deulofeu, was in that 2010 final, even scoring. “Spain were very good but our coach John Peacock set us out really well,” Coady said. “We set out to defend. I’ve got no problem in saying that because we always knew how good they were at keeping the ball. We managed to win 2-1. And that feeling to pick up the trophy was fantastic. When I got back to Liverpool, Gerrard said ‘congratulations’. That was a great part of my life.”
Coady knew he needed to accelerate his development. “I wanted to get past reserve team, Under-21 [club] level, and experience playing in the real world. When I came back from the Under-20s World Cup last season, I went in to see Brendan Rodgers. He said: ‘It’s time for you to go out on loan. Sheffield United are interested.’ David Weir was manager here then. He’d worked with the Everton youth team and we grew up playing against them.”
Then Clough came in. “He’s instilled a really good team spirit. He’s been massive with me. He’s helped me on timing my runs, getting a few tap-ins, pressing the ball, being on the front foot. I’ve scored a couple of goals [six] under him, which I’m really made up with. I owe him a lot.
“It was never a step down to come to a club of this stature. When we played Charlton in the quarter-finals, the atmosphere was unbelievable, sell-out, singing. My family were at the game and couldn’t believe what it was like. I’ll really treasure these days.”
The club photographer then strolled in, showing Coady some pictures of him with the FA Cup (left) which had been on a tour of the training ground. “Don’t show the lads them,” Coady pleaded. “Too late, I’ve already emailed them!” the photographer said with a laugh.
Coady shook his head, knowing the stick coming his way. It soon arrived, a group of his team-mates filling the doorway.
“Can somebody move them on!” Coady shouted. “Shut the door! Lock it!” The players wouldn’t budge, taking it in turns to explain their presence: “We’re listening,” “He’s the best pro at the club, we want to learn from him.”
Coady decided retaliation was the best defence. “Look at the hair-do on you. Go and get changed lads, go home, you’ve got girlfriends waiting for you. Go on!”
When the door was finally wedged shut, Coady resumed: “They’re great here. All of them. We’re really good friends.”
He knew some from growing up on Merseyside, playing against the likes of Jose Baxter, then at Everton.
Sunday will be particularly poignant for the pair with the Hillsborough tributes. “For the lads who grew up supporting Liverpool, me and Jose, it is a big thing. I’ve spoken to the gaffer and he knows how big a day it is. It means a lot to him as well. It’s going to be emotional. I went to the memorial services at Liverpool. All my thoughts are with the families and what they must be going through. It definitely puts football into perspective.”
He thinks frequently about Liverpool, about his mates hunting the title. “I don’t feel I’m missing out. I’m just made up for my friends doing well there. Jon Flanagan is flying in the first team now. He’s great. There’s no fear in him. When you listen to Brendan Rodgers speak, there’s no fear about Liverpool.
“I speak to the lads at Liverpool and they say Raheem [Sterling] is unbelievable in training. He broke on to the scene very quickly but Brendan Rodgers has helped him massively. He sat Raheem down and told him what he needed to improve. Raheem has done that. He’s really pushed up another gear.”
Coady is excited by the emerging English attacking talent like Sterling and Barkley. “They are top players and should get more credit. It’s so hard to be playing in the Premier League now. There are so few young English players doing it.
“When you see Raheem and Ross doing what they are doing, you really take your hat off to them. They are taking the league by storm, playing for England and long may that continue.”
Coady believes that he has the ability to follow them into the full England side. “I’d like to think so. That’s a bit down the years. I’ve played with Ross and Raheem. At the minute, it’s about knuckling down and carrying on improving under Nigel Clough.
“Brendan Rodgers has sent me a few texts which I’ve really appreciated. I just want to carry on giving my all for Sheffield United. At the end of the season, we’ll decide. I do like it here.
“I live with my girlfriend. She’s a hairdresser. She comes home and we watch telly. I like the box sets: I’m in the middle of Breaking Bad. I watch a lot of football. My girlfriend tries to watch and then just goes on her phone.
“I’m living the dream, playing. I want Liverpool to lift that Premier League trophy for the club, and for the Hillsborough families, and because the players deserve it. And if we went on to do the unthinkable, and win the Cup, that would be the best feeling in my life, a feeling I will cherish for the rest of my life.”
