Christie makes his final farewell but looks to his future in O’Neill’s side
LAST weekend, Cyrus Christie put family over football and made a poignant journey to London with a heavy heart. Christie’s uncle, Errol, the former European champion middleweight boxer, is in the final rounds of a two-year battle with lung cancer. It’s one fight Errol cannot win but the 53-year-old has already gone the distance. ‘He’s got over 100 tumours in his body. He’s had it for quite a while now. ‘No one has actually survived that long with what he’s got, they’ve said,’ revealed Christie. ‘I went down to visit him because he’s only got a while left and he could pass while I’m away with the national team. It could have been the last time I see him. I had to go. ‘He said he can’t fight anymore, it’s too much for him now and he’s always been positive throughout. ‘That’s the first time I’ve heard anything negative coming from his mouth.’ Christie’s deep-rooted admiration for his uncle is evident. ‘He’s paved the way for our generation to do what we are doing, the struggles and the trials and tribulations he came through were fantastic, and it gives you the courage to carry on and come through adversity,’ he said. A cousin of Christie’s is also dying and the Irish full-back isn’t understating things when he says, ‘It’s been a tough time for my family.’ Given the circumstances, Christie could have been excused international duty, or at least given the option of missing the trip to the United States, but it wasn’t something he considered. Aware of the responsibility thrust upon him in the enforced absence of Séamus Coleman, he signed up for a stringent fitness regime at the end of the season to be ready for World Cup duty against Austria on Sunday week — and beyond. He did so because he has ‘big boots to fill’ as Coleman’s replacement. ‘I need to step up and kind of do it for Séamus too,’ he said, The fitness course, to which he was first introduced at 19 by Lee Carsley, the former Irish midfielder who played and coached Christie at Coventry City, was intense. ‘I was in LA for 12 days and I was doing three sessions a day. I did eight days and I also did work on the weekends. ‘It was at a place called EXOS [a centre that supports high performance for elite athletes]. It was football-based and I did a couple of sessions as I wanted to get myself in the best shape possible. ‘In the mornings, it was movement and prep and physical conditioning. In the afternoon, it was gym work. Later on, I would do some football stuff with another guy. ‘They were long days. I used to start at 8am in the morning and I was not getting back until seven at night. ‘I decided long before the season was finished that I was going there to get myself in shape. Hopefully, it pays off.’
Christie won his ninth cap last night against Mexico and may also figure against Uruguay on Sunday as further preparation for the Austria game. He has already shown his worth to Martin O’Neill with a goal, and a superb defensive clearance, away to Gibraltar in the Euro 2016 qualifiers, and he also performed admirably in the vital home win over Germany. Christie is similar in style to Coleman in the way he surges forward to support the attack but will be aware that O’Neill wants his fullbacks to defend first and foremost. He had a stop-start season at Derby County where he made 24 Championship starts but he hasn’t lost faith in his ability to deliver for new manager Gary Rowett. ‘I know what I’m capable of. I feel that I’m one of the best full backs in that league and on my day, I think I am the best in the league. ‘For me, it’s about playing my game and sticking to it and adapting to what the manager says. Whether the manager sees me in his plans, or not, I don’t know.’ Christie, 24, has a year left on his contract at Derby but for the moment his club can wait as all his focus and energy is on convincing O’Neill that there is a way forward without Coleman. ‘Séamus (left) is a fantastic player and he’ll be a big miss. He’s backing me and he fills me with confidence. ‘Everyone here, the manager, staff and players give me confidence to go out and do what I do. For me, it’s about going out and implementing my style. ‘With Séamus, we’re similar in some ways and different in others. I just want to go out and play my game.’ Between a nagging ankle injury and finding himself out of favour at Derby last season, Christie has taken a few blows in his career. Each time, he’s backed himself to bounce back. His uncle Errol would have expected nothing less.