John Fallon: Courageous James Talbot is entitled to map his future
COURAGEOUS: Bohs' goalkeeper James Talbot. Pic credit: Bryan Keane, Inpho.
Sympathy was scarce in Ireland on Monday when news emerged of Thierry Henry's depression admission.
The Frenchman has taken on villainy status since the Hand of God incident that denied Ireland a likely shootout at reaching the 2010 World Cup.
Beneath the seemingly personification of confidence, to some tantamount to cockiness, lay a man immersed in fear, beset by a pressure from childhood to appease an expectant father.
Where the shock was equal but the reception warmer on the same day was the confession of similar struggles by James Talbot, the 26-year-old first-choice goalkeeper of Bohemians.
"James Talbot will be absent from team duties in the coming weeks, and perhaps beyond," read the club statement issued by his club, five weeks ahead of the new season kicking off.
"James is facing mentally health challenges, known by the club for some time, and is taking time to properly address these. He is now receiving the professional assistance required and we will be working with him towards a full recovery."
Unlike the suave and debonair Henry, Talbot has always been renowned for his bubbliness on and off the pitch.
He first came to public attention in 2013 as the liveware character in Premier Ambitions, a six-part television documentary which followed the fortunes of Irish club Home Farm's U15 team.
Success in the currency of trophies was a subplot to the overall narrative around which of the players would bank that coveted contract in England. Talbot emerged as the standout from the famed nursey, landing an apprenticeship deal with Sunderland.
His infectious personality chimed with the overall goalkeeper caricature, madcap traits tolerated by an the injection of positivity to the team dynamic. Talent like his superseded everything else.
Life at Sunderland, working alongside Jordan Pickford three years his senior, brought the usual gamut of emotions of an aspiring Irish bolter. The professional environment was designed to sculpt the rough edges but there's only so many places at the top and setbacks like an injury he suffered reduced the slim possibility further.
He was honest enough later on to recall the solitude of the cross-channel grind, even more so to pinpoint his own culpability in where the tide turned.
A red card late in a National League game this week six years ago while on loan at Darlington resulted in fines by both of his clubs. The temporary deal was culled and so was his time in England, at his own behest.
Returning to the League of Ireland, following the respite of a spell playing GAA for Ballymun Kickhams, refreshed Talbot.
His displays for Bohs earned call-ups to Ireland squads under different managers.
Interviews always carried insight, even if his take on rivals Shamrock Rovers led to Stephen Bradley using the audio as a motivational tool.
As Bohs manager manager Declan Devine referenced yesterday, Talbot displayed fortitude to overcome a serious shoulder injury sustained while on Ireland duty.
That wasn't just a physical rehabilitation, as he subsequently informed the Irish Independent, and whatever triggers occurred more recently influenced him to take a break voluntarily this time.
He can take comfort from the support network around him at the club and in the game.
Bohs Director of Football Pat Fenlon was Shamrock Rovers manager when Mikey Drennan called a halt to his career in 2016, just 18 months after returning from Aston Villa to become the Hoops' primary attacker.
At 22, to the outside world it seemed all was well in the body and mind of the striker, but bursting out crying following a win over Bohemians convinced him it wasn't.
In fact, the condition had affected him during his teens at Aston Villa and wasn't getting any better upon his return to Ireland.
 Fenlon afforded Drennan all the time needed – he's preferred to stay on the local Kilkenny scene for Evergreen – and the same will apply in the case of Talbot. Life is more important than football and timing is vital to avoid the spiral.
Gary Speed's tragic case is the most high-profile of ultimate consequence but closer to home, former League of Ireland player Brian Lenihan spoke too of attempting suicide.
Injury was cited behind ending his career in 2018 but it was the attempted ending of his life that brought about the decision.
That he felt unable to reveal the real reason until months later underlined the stigma around speaking Out.
Thankfully, those conversations have normalised to a degree in more recent years that Talbot wasn't inhibited by the sense of shame Lenihan harboured.
"When I speak to people about mental health and depression, it's a cancer of the mind, like, it's so difficult to get over, I suppose," reflected Lenihan, as he removed himself from the game that became his enemy, rather than ally.
Should Talbot choose to plot an alternative path, so be it and nobody will begrudge him.
His predecessor between the sticks at Bohemians, Shane Supple, had other reasons for telling Roy Keane he was quitting Ipswich Town and football at the age of 22.
He hasn't done too badly since that bombshell and is one of those there for Talbot to seek the counsel of.
For now, however, what he's proven is that it's okay to say you're not okay. That in itself is commensurate with any silverware.
In typical FAI irony, one of their directors has caused the scheduled hearing before the Public Accounts Committee to be pushed out from February 1.
Robert Watt is also Department of Health chief and his unavailability for an early December session due to illness has knocked the FAI date back amid the rejig.
It remains to be seen whether Watt, as Chair of the FAI's Audit and Risk Committee, is back within the Oireachtas chambers wearing a different cap for the probing into the football body's affairs.
As the FAI top brass will be in Paris on February 8 for the Nations League draw in Paris, the most likely Thursday morning fixture for the showdown will be a week later – on the eve of the League of Ireland season kick-off.
There will be much to drill into. The internal email chain relating to the unorthodox payment of untaken holidays to chief executive Jonathan Hill will be sought.
That is to establish the awareness of its existence, or otherwise, among key personnel.
Before the politicians get their eyes on the paper trail, directors are demanding sight too in order to corroborate what's been so far presented to delegates, staff and the public.
The start of the League of Ireland campaign could do without being overshadowed.
As the emergence of Rory Finneran appears certain to ignite another allegiance battle with England, it was the lack of competition for another prodigy in the news that can rankle with Ireland.
Conor Bradley is poised to benefit from Trent Alexander Arnold's injury, upgrading from his sub appearance against Arsenal to a start in Liverpool's League Cup clash with Fulham tonight.
Hailing from a nationalist background in Co Tyrone, Bradley was an avid Ireland and Celtic fan, complementing his football prowess with deft skills on the GAA pitch for Castlederg outfit Aghyaron St Davogs.
Those in the know up north are adamant the full-back was amenable to switching to the Republic but U21 boss Jim Crawford insists the FAI only got as far as a third party. "He was somebody who we were certainly interested in," he said. "All of a sudden he got called into the north's senior team."
And the 20-year-old hasn't booked back. " Conor and Bobby (Clark) are not back-up players, they are part of our squad ," said Pep Linjnders, JĂĽrgen Klopp's assistant. They are young, hungry and they are made for games like this."
john.fallon@examiner.ie.
