Galwayman Folan ready to star for Taylor's tribe

A product of Galway junior football - twenty-one year old defender Stephen Folan was one of Stuart Taylor's first signings after arriving at the club. His potential as a footballer is undoubted. Stephen spoke to Extratime.ie about his career so far, as well as his hopes for the future.

For a young lad to be taken away from his home and dropped in the middle of a massive city in the north-east of England is tough. For Stephen Folan, he believes the culture shock helped him mature not only as a player, but as a person, too. 

“At first, Newcastle was tough. I had gone from training twice in a week and a game, to Monday to Sunday; training and a game. The first four or five weeks was all novelty - there was no homesickness or anything like that but after I settled in, after about six weeks, I didn't want to train or anything; I just wanted to come home.”

Thankfully for the talented centre-half, his parents stepped in with some advice. “My parents basically told me that if I had quit then, I'd have wasted everything – quitting school and having to start again. Stuff like that.

"They were right. After my first year, I began to love the place. I barely went home; maybe once every couple of months. I love Newcastle. I was eighteen then and I was with my friends. I could go out and let some steam off. I got to be more independent and football was going great. I still miss Newcastle even now. By the end of my time there, I had the same feeling leaving as I did arriving. It really is a home from home. Hopefully one day I could be back there.”

While Folan went under the radar for a lot of fans as a possible transfer target, Stephen was in high demand all across Europe. Eventually settling for Limerick, the Galway native is sure he made the right choice.

“When I was coming home, I had offers in France from Le Mans, Norway, Sweden and all over Europe. It was a choice between going abroad and being out of the loop or coming home, starting again and having my family around me.

"I did my ankle ligaments while at Rotherham so I was coming home anyway. It was then I decided I needed to come home. I spoke with Sligo Rovers and Shamrock Rovers. I went up for a week to Tallaght and spoke with Trevor and Colin and they wanted to see a bit more of me in a game situation before signing me.

"Then Stuart and the Chairman rang me. I travelled down and myself and my Father spoke to them. Everything they told me, impressed me. Even if Shamrock Rovers had offered me a deal, I probably still would have signed for Limerick.”

Using his past experiences as a learning curve, Folan maintains that Newcastle was of massive benefit to him in terms of his own development.

“I was doing things I shouldn't have been doing. I got in a bit of bother for that, but I learned my lesson straight away and I'm glad it happened then rather than now. I've really matured.”

Finally, Folan spoke of his ambitions for this season and post-season. Having had his game-time limited by injury in England, Stephen's goal is simple.

“I want to play as much as I can. That's all. The team ambitions are being kept in-house, but for me it's about playing as much as I can. Hopefully at the end of the season, something comes of it, because I would like to go abroad once again.”