Leon looks for contract clarity

LEON McSWEENEY is the player who did more than most to put Cork City into the FAI Ford Cup final, with a man-of-the-match display in the semi-final against Bohemians which saw him set up both goals in the 2-0 win.

Now, he is eyeing up next Sunday’s final against Longford Town at the RDS, but concerns about the longer-term future dominate his thoughts.

“I don’t know what the situation is yet,” he replies, when asked if he is going to get a new contract. “It’s been dragging on a while at this stage. I think there are something like 10 to 13 players out of contract for next year and at the minute we have nine contracted players for next season, so that says in itself that it is going to be unsettling for club.

“All the speculation over the last few weeks has been about contracts, even on the training pitch, and it’s very difficult to concentrate on the cup final itself, but being professional you have to put that to one side.

“Things are stalling for whatever reason and it’s not great preparation going into a cup final, I must admit, but you just have to put that to the back of your mind and concentrate on the final and try to get a win. Hopefully then the contracts will take care of themselves.”

There’s no doubt where the player’s heart lies and, if he can get his situation satisfactorily resolved, he won’t be going anywhere.

“I definitely want to stay,” he emphasises. “It’s my hometown club and it’s fantastic. A winners medal in the FAI Cup would bode well for next season. I think with the players we have here, with a couple of additions in key positions, next year could be really good.

“So I’ve made it clear that I want to stay to the people involved, but obviously I have to look at other options.”

Such as?

“There are a few offers on the table, a couple in England and a couple in Ireland, but I came here initially in the summer when I finished university to make a mark at Cork City because I was with them before I went to England in the first place. I think the return I have given them from when I first came has been decent enough and I think I am only going to improve next season with a proper pre-season behind me, so hopefully things will sort themselves out. As I said, if things aren’t done, you just have to look after your own future. But right now my prime instinct is the cup final and hopefully my future will be sorted out in a couple of weeks after that.”

McSweeney, still only 24, left Cork City as a callow youth for Leicester City in 2001 and spent six years in England, stopping off at Scarborough, Hucknall Town, Hednesford Town and Ilkestown Town — during which time he combined his football with university studies.

“All in all, I’ve a lot of ties in England, so if I have to go it’s not going to be a big upheaval,” he reflects. “But I came back and it was a big step in my career. The next contract is another big step in my career because I want to push on and I think I can play at a decent level. Hopefully this is the place I can do it. If not, it’s out of my hands.”

McSweeney has a preference for playing as an out-and-out striker but it was from the right wing that he did the damage in the semi-final.

“I always say that if I get the service I will score goals,” McSweeney observes. “If I have wingers putting balls in the box, that’s where I’m deadliest. The only problem I have as a winger is if you don’t get the ball, you can’t influence the game. But I was very fortunate in the Bohemians game I got a lot of ball. Ultimately, I’m just happy to be playing but if I can score some goals along the way and establish myself as a striker that would be my preference.”

McSweeney knows the stakes are unusually high for Cork City.

“European football now hinges on the cup final,” McSweeney notes.

“For a club of this size, we need to be playing in Europe.”

And Leon McSweeney is determined that his homecoming season won’t end on a sour note.

“I just want to win the cup,” he says. “I love winning medals and if I was told this year that I would have started the majority of games, scored a few goals, and ended up with an FAI Cup winner’s medal, I would have bitten your right arm off.

“I’m just going to go out there and do a job for the team and hopefully that will be good enough to bring the cup back to Leeside.”