August has been an eventful month for me. There was uncertainty throughout the whole month whether I would stay with Europa FC in Gibraltar where I had spent the last two seasons and solidified my spot as number one, or move to Glentoran in the Northern Irish Premier League. I didn’t know where my future lied as both teams were negotiating weeks. Meanwhile, I was training in preparation for the Champions League qualifiers. Mentally I was no longer there as I wanted a move abroad to gain that exposure of playing at a higher level and getting out of my comfort zone of living with family and friends. The move for me was necessary if I wanted to progress in my career, although many people disagreed with my decision as they thought it was a ‘sideways’ step.
After a stressful month of back and forth discussions from both clubs, the transfer was finally completed. Having only recently arrived in Belfast I soon settled in quickly by debuting against HB Torshavn from the Faroe Islands in the Europa League preliminary round and winning 1-0.
I felt it was a dream start especially if you want to impress at a new club by gaining a clean sheet on your debut and proving to everyone back home that it was the right move for me. The only downside, however, was that we could not celebrate with our fans because of the virus, but rightly so. I look forward to playing in front of them when the time is right.
Now I am currently back in Gibraltar with the National team as we prepare for Saturday’s game against San Marino. There is no better feeling than representing your country on an international stage. For the three weeks I have been in Northern Ireland, I have really enjoyed myself but it is always nice to come back and see familiar faces. Come Sunday I’ll be back in Belfast and prepare for the restart of the season. Something I’m eager to do.
But for now, stay safe and follow government guidelines.
Dayle Coleing