Neil Yadolahi may only be 21, but the Drogheda United defender has already played professional football in England, Scotland, Ireland, Turkey and Armenia – coming through a number of trying personal experiences one would normally associate with a player at the end of their career as opposed to one at the beginning.
Because in essence, signing for the Drogs in the off-season has proved to be a new start for the well-travelled Yadolahi – though he very nearly ended up in another exotic destination where another Emerald Exile, Cillian Sheridan, currently plies his trade.
“I came back to Ireland in December from Armenia and everything happened so quickly,” Yadolahi explained to Extratime.ie after the draw for the second round of the FAI Cup took place in the Aviva Stadium. “I was actually due to sign a deal out in Cyprus, but I couldn't sign anything until the transfer window opened in January.”
An agent put the Dubliner in touch with Johnny McDonnell, who had only been appointed to the United Park hotseat days before. Having spent most of his career to date away from home, and especially after enduring a difficult 18 months in Turkey with Bucaspor and in Armenia with FC Banants, Yadolahi liked what McDonnell had to say.
“The thing that stood out about Johnny was that he was honest - he'll tell you straight, he won't tell you any bull, any crap,” said Yadolahi. “I went away at a very young age at 16. I sacrificed a lot, like my education – Junior Cert was the most education I did.
“I had three and a half wonderful years at Burnley – I was in the first-team at 17. I went to Derby County after that and injury again hit that. I had more problems then in Turkey, things didn't work out there financially – a lot of messing around with money on their end. It's a lot of bad luck, really, and I don't like using the term luck.
“I'm only 21 and I've had these experience in these countries,” added Yadolahi. “To be fair, I wouldn't change it for anything because of the experience itself – the players, the standard of football that I've been playing. It's been phenomenal and it'll stand to me in the long-term.”
Continue reading my interview with Neil Yadolahi on Extratime.ie.
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