A year and a half ago, Jerry Flannery rocked up at Arsenal on a work placement. His role was as a strength and conditioning coach with the club's academy. Six months ago he departed when Anthony Foley came calling asking him to become part of his coaching ticket at Munster.
It seems like he really enjoyed his time in north London though, posing for pictures taking the piss out of Ashley Cole and going in goal in training.
In an excellent interview with Colm Kinsella of The Limerick Leader today, the former Munster hooker has spoken about his time with Arsenal. Flannery says that he went to the club with established ideas regarding footballers but those certainly changed during his time there.
Going over to Arsenal, I would have had a predisposed idea in my head as to what footballers were like, that they were over-paid, primadonnas who didn’t work hard, but that changed completely.
I saw just how difficult it is to make it as a professional footballer. It’s such a competitive career to get into that for lads to be in it is the equivalent to them winning the Lotto. Sure, you are going to get dickheads in football, but you are going to them in all professions. I came away with a lot of admiration for them.
Despite being a Chelsea fan, he developed a "soft spot" for the Emirates club.
I am a Chelsea fan all the time. They gave me a bit of stick when I went over first, but one of their physios is also a Chelsea fan. But when you are working for the club, you will have a soft spot for them, watch out for them. I am still Chelsea!
Picture credit: Diarmuid Greene / SPORTSFILE
