'It gives you a boost' - Cork City's Cathal O'Sullivan grateful for John O'Shea's support

April remains the target for a return action but for which club remains to be seen as his current Cork City contract will have expired by then.
'It gives you a boost' - Cork City's Cathal O'Sullivan grateful for John O'Shea's support

Cork City's Cathal O'Sullivan at the announcement of EA SPORTS FC's return of the League of Ireland and their club packs. Pic: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile.

After the news broke that Cork City’s talented playmaker Cathal O’Sullivan had suffered the second Anterior Cruciate Ligament injury of his promising young career, his phone began to buzz with messages of encouragement from the League of Ireland community.

O’Sullivan’s former City boss Tim Clancy, who had given him his first team debut, had kept in regular contact with the 18-year-old regardless while Republic of Ireland under 17 manager Colin O’Brien also reached out.

But there was also an unexpected text of support from an unknown number that surprised O’Sullivan.

ā€œThere was a load of managers that text me but probably the one that stood out is John O’Shea text me,ā€ he admitted.

ā€œI haven’t really talked to John much, but he gave me text, and it means a lot, it gives you a boost. A random number popped up on my phone, I didn’t expect it.ā€

O'Sullivan, who had been attracting interest from several clubs including Brentford, Crystal Palace and Celtic, is now just over two months into his rehabilitation from the injury he suffered in the loss to Sligo Rovers at the end of July.

He will meet his surgeon for a routine check-up in two weeks’ time, but he admits ā€œeverything is going swiftly, no problemsā€ having discarded of his crutches recently.

April remains the target for a return action but for which club remains to be seen as his current Cork City contract will have expired by then.

ā€œI’m going to have to take my time with rehab and stuff like that and whatever happens in the future happens,ā€ he adds.

ā€œI can’t answer right now (where he will be). I don’t know, I don’t know. Right now, I’m a Cork City player and that’s the way I’m looking at it.

ā€œI should do (have options). Any young player at Cork City will look at Jake (O’Brien) and be like that’s the route I want to go down, sure he’s playing in the Premier League every week and that’s my aim as well.

ā€œRight now, I don’t have a pinpoint to where I will be, right now I’m a Cork City player and that’s the way I’m looking at it.

ā€œI don’t think you have to be (fit to move clubs). It would obviously be the best thing that you could do but I don’t think you have to be.

ā€œFor me I could go over and just finish my rehab somewhere if I want to, it would be an option. I’ve already done this (ACL) once, I’ve done it twice now and if I can come back from this and hopefully stay injury free for a good while I can go out and do my thing. I’ll do it.ā€

But until then, O’Sullivan will remain a supporter of Cork City in the stands, continuing on Friday night when they host St Patrick’s Athletic at Turner’s Cross in the FAI Cup semi-final, which is a repeat of their last four showdown from 2023, which the Saints won 2-0.

ā€œI was in the Shed End for that game. It was mental, it was over full if anything. As a kid I went to all the games with my brother and stuff like that,ā€ he remembers, although he knows he should be on the pitch this time around.

ā€œThe cup semi-final is a huge game. It (his injury) couldn’t have happened at a worse time.ā€

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