WINDOW INTO MY LIFE
EOIN DOYLE has offered an insight into the madness of English football’s transfer deadline day.
The 33-year-old striker is on his way back home to Dublin from Bolton Wanderers to finish his career where it began — in the League of Ireland.
That brings its own challenges, such as moving his wife and children, who were all born while he was playing in the UK, across the Irish Sea.
But at least the new St Patrick’s Athletic signing knows where his final destination is — which is more than can be said for his deadline day move in 2015.
Doyle’s 25 goals in 33 games for League One side Chesterfield during the first half of that season convinced Cardiff City to spend almost €1m on the Tallaght native.
But up to his arrival at the Bluebirds, he still wasn’t sure if the move was going to go through.
Morning
He said: “The time I went to Cardiff, I woke up on deadline day morning being told, ‘You’re getting a move, but we’ve no idea where you’re going’.
“Even halfway down to Cardiff the phone goes and it’s, ‘Pull over, pull over, something else could be coming here’.
“It was just mad, a proper deadline day situation like you’d see on Sky Sports News.”
Doyle added: “It can be difficult and obviously with the kids being young — my eldest is eight — and it’s just
(wife) Ciara, me and the three boys, getting back was a big factor.
“I obviously had a great relationship with my cousins, aunties, grandparents and stuff and I want my kids to have the same, I’m sick of them blowing kisses on FaceTime and stuff.”
His family will remain in Liverpool until Doyle finds a permanent home for them.
“I’ve had sleepless nights the last few nights looking for places, talking to people to try and get things sorted out,” he said.
Family
“It’s not easy. For the time being I will be over and back to Liverpool until we get that sorted.
“I can’t put a family out of a nice home over here (England) and put them in my mam’s attic, five of us, so they can go to school.
“It’s going to be interesting the next couple of months, I’m sure it’s going to be stressful getting that over the line but I’m sure we’ll get there.
“I think moving a family of five to a different country is going to be stressful regardless, it’s just a matter of trying to find this house in the location where we’re trying to live.”
Doyle admitted that he had options to remain in England, with “six or seven” clubs making their interest known prior to the transfer window opening.
However, he wanted to draw a line under his 10-year spell in the UK and return home while he was still young enough to do himself justice.
He also wants to spend more time on a business venture he founded with former Sligo Rovers teammate Danny Ventre — Lily’s Before And After School Childcare.
He leaves the UK having won three League Two titles with Chesterfield, Portsmouth and Swindon, and claimed promotion last year with Bolton.
He made it onto one League One and two League two Teams of the Year, and was League Two Player of the Year when he finished the division’s top scorer in 2019/20.
A former Shamrock Rovers and Sligo Rovers striker, it was long thought he’d return home and finish his career at Tallaght Stadium but when his old Hibernian teammate Tim Clancy called, he agreed to move to St Pat’s.
“We clicked straight away and over there I could see he was going to be a manager, he had that in him,” said Doyle.
Questions
“He was always asking questions in team meetings and stuff. He always had a keen eye on how you should be playing and all that sort of stuff.
“I’m excited because he has done great things since he has become a gaffer and I’m excited to play under him.”