Rejuvenated in his mid-30s by a move to Wimbledon, John-Joe O’Toole is glad that he stayed up late on transfer deadline day!
The Harrow-raised defender was thinking of going to bed on 1 February when an unexpected call from his agent changed everything.
All of a sudden, John-Joe was given a big opportunity with Wimbledon, swapping a bit-part role at Mansfield for regular game-time with the Dons and a tilt at reaching the play-offs.
After an impressive start to life at Wimbledon, we caught up with John-Joe for an interview that featured in the matchday programme for Newport.
In case you missed it, John-Joe talked about that dramatic turn of events that led him to Plough Lane and his dreams of becoming a rock star!
Take us through that dramatic day when you ended up signing here just before the transfer deadline – was it really a last-minute thing?
It was a late call. My agent doesn’t ring me up too often and when he called me it was 10 pm at night. I’m guessing I probably wasn’t the first-choice! I was ready to go to bed, but I got a call out of the blue about the move, so next thing I was having a chat with my missus about it.
The move was on, but then it was off. I don’t think the manager at Mansfield was quite sure, but he changed his mind, so then it was up to me to get it done. It was certainly worth it - I’m glad that I stayed up!
At the age of 35, you’ve been playing every week. Has the move to Wimbledon given you a new lease of life?
I jumped at the chance to come and play here. I wasn’t playing at Mansfield after suffering with injuries for the last year or so. It was hard getting back into the team, especially when they were doing so well. They have a strong squad, so I found myself not even on the bench some weeks. I needed to go out and play and when I got the call to come here I jumped at the opportunity. I’ve had to wait a little bit to get my chance and now I need to hold onto my place in the team.
Have you had to really look after your body to be playing so well in your mid-30s?
As you get older you get to know your body better and you learn what works and what doesn’t. You have to adapt over time and try to perfect your approach to staying in peak shape. I tried to keep myself as fit as possible, so that I was ready to perform at my best when the chance came along.
We’ve had four clean sheets in a row now, so what does that say about the understanding that’s developed between the boys at the back?
The gaffer has to take a lot of the credit. He picks the team and the way he sets us up has been brilliant. We are doing very well at the back, but we’re scoring goals and winning games as well. The feeling we’ve got is that if we keep a clean sheet we will nick a goal or two. Clean sheets will win games. It’s not just the back three or back five, the lads up top have been doing very well and it starts with them. They make our job a lot easier. We have not achieved anything yet though, so we just have to keep going.
Being from Harrow and having played against us in the past, you’ll know all about Wimbledon, so what does it mean to wear the badge?
I’m very proud to play for this club. Wimbledon has a great history, having had to start again from the bottom, so it’s an unbelievable story to get to this level and be at this fantastic stadium. The Club was in League One not too long ago and the set-up is really good. You can sense what it means to all of the supporters and everyone involved. I remember watching Wimbledon on TV in the Premier League and the characters involved, so it means a lot.
You were part of a League Two title-winning team with Northampton back in 2016. What do you think are the main characteristics required for a squad to earn promotion?
You’ve got to win games ugly and matches that maybe you shouldn’t have won. A togetherness and a real work ethic is required. The manager and coaching staff need to make the right decisions so that players get the right information to be successful. You just have to keep ticking the games off with wins and keep pushing on right until the end of the season.
Going back to your early days with Watford, how did you first get spotted?
I was playing for a local team called St Joseph’s in Harrow. We were good to be fair, we won virtually every game. Watford heard about us and they took about eight of us on trial! I joined Watford when I was eight and progressed through the ranks, scoring on my league debut. That was what I’d trained for every week and worked so hard for. Sometimes it was hard for me to keep believing that it would ever happen, but when I finally got that chance it was quite surreal.
What was the toughest time in your career?
There are a lot more tougher days than not so tough days. I wish I could say that I’d had a lovely career and enjoyed every minute of it, but there have been a lot of testing times, including when I was injured. You have to try and keep going. I had a stint at Burton that wasn’t nice for me and I got relegated with Bristol Rovers – that was horrible. The whole day was just very difficult and that was a real low in my career. You have to keep grinding through and in the end you’ll get there.
Was the promotion at Northampton the highlight of your career?
Yes, because it’s the only promotion I’ve had – another one would be nice! In that year it was a nightmare with the owner – we heard that the club was going to get sold – and there was a lot of turmoil off the pitch. I managed to get into the team though and do well. We got promoted in style at the end, so it was an unbelievable year. The fans at Northampton still talk about it and that season has really stuck in the memories of people.
And you’ve played for Republic of Ireland. What is the family Irish connection?
My grandparents – on my Dad’s side – are from Mayo, so there’s Irish blood in me. There’s a big Irish community in Harrow. When I got the opportunity to play for Ireland I jumped at the chance.
It was unbelievable to represent my country. It was a great experience as I made six or seven appearances – it meant a lot to me and the family.
What about when your playing days are over – have you got plans for that time?
I am doing my UEFA B badge at the moment, so I would like to give coaching a go. As a player you always think you have the answers, but I’m sure it’s a lot harder than it looks. Everyone has an opinion of what a manager should and shouldn’t do, but until you are doing it yourself it’s hard to anticipate what’s to come.
But recent times have shown there’s plenty left in the legs yet! Do you think you’ve still got plenty to offer?
Definitely, as I feel a lot better than I thought I would at 35! I feel good. When you get older the opportunities become less and less, but if you get that chance to prove people wrong and you do well then you have to keep going.
I believed when I came here that I was good enough to play, good enough to start in this team, and in the division. It was just a case of being ready to take my chance when it came along. I feel good and the team are doing well, but we can’t just sit back and think, ‘we’ve done well for a few games’. We have to keep going - and that’s the main message to everyone.
Was there any other options apart from football that you could have pursued?
It was always football, but I love music. I love the Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and Oasis. The Libertines and the Arctic Monkeys are also bands I admired - I have a wide range of musical tastes.
I play a bit of guitar and I like to still do that during my downtime. If it wasn’t for football I probably would have been a Rock N’ Roll star!
