Conor Washington On Representing Northern Ireland At Euro 2016 And The Highs And Lows Of A Career In Football | OneFootball

You have returned to part-time football in order to set up and run your own coaching business. How fulfilling has that shift been for you personally, and what excites you most about guiding and shaping the next generation of players?

“It’s something I’ve always been interested in, to be honest. I had a spell in my career for a few years where I wasn’t too sure whether I wanted to carry on or just step away completely. Things weren’t going great at the time, and I just wanted to get myself into a better headspace.

“But over the last three or four years, I’ve really had that drive again to stay in the game, and to try and help as many players as I can, especially with the things I struggled with myself, not just the footballing side but the mental side as well. That’s what motivates me the most now.”

Your career has taken you from success at club level to the international stage. How do those experiences shape the way you approach coaching today?

“When you’ve played with top players and against top players, you pick things up without even realising. When you’re in that environment 24/7, it just becomes normal, but actually, the insight you’re getting into what it takes to perform and to stay at the top level is massive.

“This past year, I’ve done a lot of reflecting and even written things down that I’ve noticed day-to-day from players like Jonny Evans and Steven Davis – both guys who have stayed at the very top for so long. When you break it down, there’s so much detail in their habits and professionalism. For the average person, or even for players who haven’t been around that level, those insights are worth a lot more than they probably realise.”

You started your career with St Ives Town. I believe you were working as a postman during that time as well. How did you manage to combine that with football?

“Honestly, I didn’t combine it too well at all. I was late for loads of games and missed plenty of warm-ups… (laughs). It was really tough. But it gave me a brilliant grounding. It kept me humble alongside my family; it’s something that’s kept me grounded throughout my career.

“Even now, when football gets tough, I think back to those mornings when I was out at half five in the freezing cold, running around with the post, then going to play a match. Suddenly, football doesn’t seem quite so bad after that!

During your time there, your goal-scoring record was really strong. That caught the eye of Newport County. How did you feel when that interest came in? Was it like a dream come true, knowing you’d get the chance to play in the Football League?

“100 percent, it was a dream come true. It was such a positive time for me. But at the same time, I was really nervous because I didn’t know if I’d be good enough at that level.

“So it was a mix of emotions. On one hand, you’re thinking, “Wow, what an opportunity.” But on the other hand, the stress and the anxiety are huge, and I don’t think that side of it gets talked about enough.”

In terms of that mental side of football, did it become more challenging the higher you went in the game, or was it something you always felt from the start?

“No, it definitely got worse as I went up. It all gets magnified with bigger crowds, more pressure, and bigger social media following. And I think we’re starting to recognise the mental side of football more now, but honestly, it’s still a bit of a taboo subject.

“Most of the time, it only gets spoken about when players come out of the game, which is a shame. We should be doing more to support players while they’re actually going through it.

“I think there needs to be more done across the board. And to be honest, I think fans need to be part of that conversation too. There probably needs to be some sort of education, though I’m not sure how you’d do it.

“Because at the end of the day, it’s not nice reading stuff about yourself online. You can be 20 years old or 30 years old, it doesn’t matter if you try to grow a thick skin, but opening your Twitter feed or your Instagram after a game and seeing all that abuse… It’s tough.

“And I don’t think that’s ever going to help a player perform better on the pitch. We play football because we love it. Of course, getting paid is a bonus, I’m not denying that, but most lads are out there trying their absolute best.

“It’s just a shame, really, that the abuse is getting worse. Everyone feels like they’ve got access to you just because you play for their club. I do think it’ll come to a head eventually, because at the moment it’s out of control.”

After making the move from St Ives to Newport and breaking into the Football League, what was your reaction when Peterborough came calling, given their reputation for developing forwards who go on to bigger stages, something you yourself went on to achieve?

“That was probably the move, other than QPR, that I was most excited about.

“It was really close to home, so I managed to get back more often, which you don’t often get to do in football. And also, like you say, it was the perfect place to go and develop. They saw me as a project; I saw it as a project. Thankfully, that’s how it worked out. But yeah, being able to be back home with the family and sharing that experience with them was huge as well.”

“That was probably the biggest pinch-me moment, I think. Because my best friend, who I’ve known since I was seven, is a massive QPR fan. So that in itself was a bit crazy. I’d been to a few games with him, and I could see how much he loved the club. I’d seen the size of the fan base. They’d just been relegated, and they had loads of Premier League players who were also full internationals.

“Peterborough was playing in front of three or four thousand, but this was a whole other level. It was a huge, ambitious club that wanted to go straight back to the Premier League. With being managed by Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and the director of football being Les Ferdinand, it was just pinch-me moments all over the place, really.”

In terms of QPR, you mentioned playing under Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, but Ian Holloway is another manager who you worked with. What was it like working with them, and how did they compare in terms of character?

“Yeah, it was brilliant. I learned loads from every single manager – even Steve McClaren, for the few weeks or months that he was there just before I left.

“Ian Holloway was a big character, as you would expect, and I learned loads from him. Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink was another who I learned loads from in terms of the nuances of being a number nine, the out-of-possession stuff, things like that. So yeah, working with those people was a fantastic experience.”

When you’re at QPR, you break into the Northern Ireland squad for the first time. What was it like getting that international recognition and making that step up?

“Yeah, it was hard to take, but my career seemed to go on this sort of crazy trajectory in the first four or five years where everything that needed to go right just seemed to go right. There were setbacks and disappointments in there, but it felt like I was on this upward path. And that just felt, at the time, like another piece of the puzzle, really.

“Even with what you’ve just said – making my debut and then scoring a few days later – I actually got dragged at half-time in that Wales game. It was just before the Euros, so I went into that camp thinking, ‘Right, I have to make an impact here. I have to do something to get me on that plane to the Euros.’ In training, I’d done really well, scored loads of goals, and managed to get myself a start in Cardiff against Wales.

“I did okay, and then the manager wanted to change shape. He pulled me after the game and said, ‘Listen, it wasn’t a you thing.’ But when you get dragged off at half-time, you’re thinking the worst. Luckily, he started me again against Slovenia, wanted to give me another chance, and I managed to score and play well, which all but booked my seat on the plane, really.”

After scoring against Slovenia and then getting named in the squad for the Euros – were those another example of pinch-me moments where you just think to yourself, my trajectory’s been incredible, and you’re just going to keep riding the crest of the wave because it’s going so well?

“Never mind reflecting on anything at the time – it just felt like next thing, next thing, next thing. To be fair, the first few months at QPR hadn’t gone well from January to the summer, so I was really looking forward to the Euros and trying to make an impact there, to then hopefully take back into QPR at the start of the next season.

“It wasn’t until maybe three or four years later, when people started to reflect on Northern Ireland getting to the Euros, that you realised what an achievement it was, not just for me, but for the nation as well.”

What was it like playing and training alongside players like Jonny Evans and Steven Davis?

“Yeah, just pure class – as people, they were fantastic. And actually, not as intense as I expected. I thought they’d be 100% football all the time, always wanting to talk about the game. But it was the complete opposite. Off the pitch, they were just great people to be around. Once the boots were on, though, it was all business – discipline, focus, consistency.

“That’s really where discipline outweighs motivation. Anyone can give their best for a couple of weeks, but to keep doing the right things day after day, year after year, even over decades, and that’s what’s truly impressive.”

After the Euros, you earn a move to Sheffield United, they get promoted to the Premier League – you’re working with Chris Wilder. What was he like to work with?

“Pretty much, what you see is what you get. He’s no different from how he is on the TV, in interviews, or in the press – that is him. He’s out there, he’s intense, he demands high standards and hard work. Really honest, which I quite liked.

“I don’t think he was particularly close to any of the players, but that was him as a person rather than a ploy or anything like that. So yeah, he’s one of the managers I look back on and think, ‘Well, he did things his way, and that was him as a person.’ He didn’t try to change or feel like he needed to change when he became a manager, which I think is arguably why he’s been so successful.”

One of the things I’m interested in asking you about is your time at Hearts. How do you reflect on that? You obviously have ancestral links to Scotland, so was that part of the reason and attraction to come up and play in Scotland?

“That played a part, for sure. I’ve always known the clubs in the SPFL, and I’ve always known that Hearts was a huge club. We had Austin MacPhee there as well, and I spoke to Michael O’Neill, and he thought it would be a good platform for me to go.

“They had some really good players such as Steven Naismith, John Souttar, and others, so it was a really easy decision, and I’m glad I did it.

“Looking back at the season, both personally and for the team, it was a torrid time in all honesty. Injuries, COVID, and relegation made it tough.

“However, in terms of the experience, the family really enjoyed it. We loved living up there. It was a different experience for all of us, so I still see it as a positive, even though the football side was arguably pretty negative.”

It was a tough time for the club, as you said, but you managed to rebuild after that at Charlton.  There were two really good seasons there, with solid goal-scoring returns. As a striker, when you get the chance to join a club like Charlton and score goals again, does that help you recover from a difficult season?

“Yeah, definitely. I think it was my first real big injury at Hearts, to be honest, as well. So it was nice to get back playing. Two decent seasons in terms of output of goals, but also minutes and consistency.

“That was really important for me to build on psychologically after a pretty hefty time out with injury at Hearts.”

In terms of Charlton, you had a couple of managers during your two seasons there. What’s it like as a player? Is it frustrating when there are conflicting messages? Or, as a goal scorer, do you just focus on yourself and deal with the situation around you?

“It can be a little bit of both, because managers obviously have different ideas about how they want to score goals and how they see the game.

“Johnny Jackson was probably where I was most productive, really. When he came in, we started playing two up front, and it was very much built around me and the other striker. We scored a lot of goals between us at the end of that season. Unfortunately, we both sort of dovetailed with injuries towards the end.

“We weren’t too far off making a push for the playoffs at one point, which would have been great. I think we were looking to build on that for the next season, but I left, and then obviously Johnny left as well. So it was a disappointing end to what I felt could have been my club for a good few years.”

In terms of your most recent spell in the Football League, you won promotion from League One to the Championship with Derby. However, injuries took their toll. Was it frustrating to feel like you were still contributing but struggling to get on the pitch due to injuries and other factors?

“I think the most frustrating part is the way it’s been portrayed in the media. Because I wasn’t injured for most of the season last year. I had an injury at the start that kept me out of a couple of pre-season games, but from the first game of the season until about mid-November, I was available. I just wasn’t in the squad.

“Then I had a two-month spell out – December and January – but from February to May, I was available. I even played seven or eight U21s games towards the end of the season. But once you’re out of the 25-man squad, there’s not too much you can do.

“The media don’t want to let the truth get in the way of a good story. It’s easier to say I’ve been injured for two years. Even the injury I did have in the first season was a freak one – ruptured all three ankle ligaments stepping off a bus onto a kerb. Total accident. Not like a hamstring tear or a calf pull.

“That’s the most frustrating part, really. But it is what it is, and there’s no point in me crying about it.”

“It can definitely be frustrating at times, but the reality is that, no matter what you say or do, there will always be negativity. You can’t please everyone; in fact, most of the time, you can barely please anyone at times in football.

“Could I go out there and explain what really happened? Sure. But what would it achieve? Maybe I’d feel better for a couple of minutes, but it would only spark another wave of criticism from a different group of fans with their own opinions. So, in the end, it’s not really worth it. Like I say, you just can’t please everyone.”

Finally. Conor, in terms of your future, is your main aim to continue coaching while playing for Matlock Town in the meantime until you determine your next career path?

“Honestly, I still feel like I could play full-time, but the offers on the table weren’t really feasible at this stage of my life. With a young family, it doesn’t make sense to relocate across the country just to break even on travel and accommodation.

“I also understand why those offers were what they were. If you look at the stats, it says I had zero appearances last year, and it’s hard to argue with that on paper.

“That said, this is a really good opportunity to gain valuable coaching experience. I weighed it up – two more years playing in League Two with no coaching hours, or two years combining part-time football with building my coaching portfolio. By the time I’m 35, I think I’ll be in a much stronger position for the future.

“Beyond coaching, I’m also interested in other areas of the game. Scouting and recruitment are things I’d like to get involved in and learn more about. Long-term, my ambition is to work towards a sporting director role. That’s where I’d ideally like to be in 10-15 years, even though the pathway to that point isn’t clearly mapped out yet.”