IT’S THREE YEARS ago this month that Karl Sheppard earned his big break and moved across the water to join the then Championship leaders Reading. However, not a lot has gone his way since.
By his own admission, Sheppard doesn’t want to be the subject of any hard-luck stories but a string of debilitating injuries scuppered his chances of making the impression he had hoped in England.
Now, back home in the league where he originally caught the eye of clubs abroad, the striker is determined to put his fitness issues behind him and start afresh.
At Cork City, he’s hoping to seize that opportunity.
John Caulfield’s side agonisingly missed out on the Airtricity League title last term but a purposeful off-season recruitment drive has underlined their ambition to go one better this year.
Sheppard is among the club’s winter arrivals, which include Liam Miller, and is desperately searching for a spark to reignite a career that promised so much.
“I wasn’t enjoying playing football anymore,” he told The42. “When I decided to leave Reading there was some interest in me but I had to come home and just get back into a team and play again.”
“And now after a frustrating year at Shamrock Rovers, I’m loving it in Cork so far, I couldn’t have asked for anything more. There’s a great bunch of lads and they’ve welcomed me and helped me settle in.”
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Sheppard endured a frustrating season last year, scoring just one league goal Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
It’s clear Sheppard is not one to dwell on the past but he admits his brief experience of professional football in England was an important juncture in his career.
“I was unfortunate but it just wasn’t to be,” he says. “I don’t really know how to look back on my time there because it was just another part of my career. I just saw it as a stepping stone and I wouldn’t say I was disappointed.”
“I think I was quite unlucky. I had been in the squad for the game at Doncaster but it was postponed due to a frozen pitch and then I picked up a thigh injury which kept me out for two months.”
“When I came back I never really got the chance,” he adds.
Sheppard could say the same about his return to Tallaght. Another injury, this time to his abdomen, meant he fell down the pecking order under Trevor Croly and, as he says himself, became ‘part of the furniture’ at Rovers.
Having missed pre-season, it took him a while to get going and although his fortunes changed slightly when Pat Fenlon succeeded Croly, Sheppard needed a fresh start and a new challenge.
“Every player wants to play and when you’re not it’s very annoying,” he says of his second stint at Rovers. “It was difficult to leave but I just wasn’t enjoying it and I took a step back at the end of last season and knew it was time I moved on.”
The striker had a brief loan spell at Accrington Stanley Paul Thomas / Press Association
Paul Thomas / Press Association / Press Association
Despite his recent struggles, there was no shortage of interest in the former Galway forward during the off-season but it didn’t take him long to be convinced Cork was the right move.
“I had a quick chat with John Caulfield and then I came down to look around and, to be honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect but it felt right straight away.
“I heard from Ciaran Kilduff that is was a great club and a great place but I was surprised and impressed as to how good the facilities are. I’m living in a house with Ross Gaynor and Kieran Djilali and I’m just raring to go.”
With a little over a month until the new season starts, preparations are beginning to intensify and Sheppard scored his second goal for City in a friendly win over Roscommon on Friday evening.
The Dubliner has worked hard over the winter months, particularly on rehab, to ensure he’s in the best possible shape come 7 March when Cork open their league campaign at the Showgrounds.
You couldn’t accuse The Leesiders of resting on their laurels after a magnificent season last year. John Caulfield has targeted certain areas to strengthen and he’s bolstered his ranks with shrewd acquisitions.
Billy Denneny was Cork’s leading goalscorer in 2014 with 13 strikes and if Sheppard can bring anything to Caulfield’s side that they have lacked in recent times is a clinical marksman.
“First thing I want to do is break into the side, keep my head down and impress. Once I stay fit, I just want to start scoring goals again and I’d be happy with that.
“But, there’s almost two good players in every position at the club and there are a lot of promising young players coming through as well. It won’t be easy to hold down your place.”
Having spent most of the last three injury-ravaged years sitting on the sidelines, you get the feeling Sheppard isn’t prepared to do anymore watching though: he still harbours hopes of securing another contract in England.
“The way I see it, I have one, maybe two, seasons to get back over to England and that’s obviously the target.
“I still have an ambition to play over there and I just need to have a good season with Cork first and that’s all I can hope for.”
His experience with Reading has in no way deterred him from pursuing a move back across the water but after his first chance came and went, Sheppard is now back at the start of the cycle hoping to do it over again.
Karl Sheppard relishing 'fresh start' at Cork as he looks to reignite his career
IT’S THREE YEARS ago this month that Karl Sheppard earned his big break and moved across the water to join the then Championship leaders Reading. However, not a lot has gone his way since.
By his own admission, Sheppard doesn’t want to be the subject of any hard-luck stories but a string of debilitating injuries scuppered his chances of making the impression he had hoped in England.
Now, back home in the league where he originally caught the eye of clubs abroad, the striker is determined to put his fitness issues behind him and start afresh.
At Cork City, he’s hoping to seize that opportunity.
John Caulfield’s side agonisingly missed out on the Airtricity League title last term but a purposeful off-season recruitment drive has underlined their ambition to go one better this year.
Sheppard is among the club’s winter arrivals, which include Liam Miller, and is desperately searching for a spark to reignite a career that promised so much.
“I wasn’t enjoying playing football anymore,” he told The42. “When I decided to leave Reading there was some interest in me but I had to come home and just get back into a team and play again.”
“And now after a frustrating year at Shamrock Rovers, I’m loving it in Cork so far, I couldn’t have asked for anything more. There’s a great bunch of lads and they’ve welcomed me and helped me settle in.”
It’s clear Sheppard is not one to dwell on the past but he admits his brief experience of professional football in England was an important juncture in his career.
“I was unfortunate but it just wasn’t to be,” he says. “I don’t really know how to look back on my time there because it was just another part of my career. I just saw it as a stepping stone and I wouldn’t say I was disappointed.”
“When I came back I never really got the chance,” he adds.
Sheppard could say the same about his return to Tallaght. Another injury, this time to his abdomen, meant he fell down the pecking order under Trevor Croly and, as he says himself, became ‘part of the furniture’ at Rovers.
Having missed pre-season, it took him a while to get going and although his fortunes changed slightly when Pat Fenlon succeeded Croly, Sheppard needed a fresh start and a new challenge.
“Every player wants to play and when you’re not it’s very annoying,” he says of his second stint at Rovers. “It was difficult to leave but I just wasn’t enjoying it and I took a step back at the end of last season and knew it was time I moved on.”
Despite his recent struggles, there was no shortage of interest in the former Galway forward during the off-season but it didn’t take him long to be convinced Cork was the right move.
“I heard from Ciaran Kilduff that is was a great club and a great place but I was surprised and impressed as to how good the facilities are. I’m living in a house with Ross Gaynor and Kieran Djilali and I’m just raring to go.”
With a little over a month until the new season starts, preparations are beginning to intensify and Sheppard scored his second goal for City in a friendly win over Roscommon on Friday evening.
The Dubliner has worked hard over the winter months, particularly on rehab, to ensure he’s in the best possible shape come 7 March when Cork open their league campaign at the Showgrounds.
You couldn’t accuse The Leesiders of resting on their laurels after a magnificent season last year. John Caulfield has targeted certain areas to strengthen and he’s bolstered his ranks with shrewd acquisitions.
Billy Denneny was Cork’s leading goalscorer in 2014 with 13 strikes and if Sheppard can bring anything to Caulfield’s side that they have lacked in recent times is a clinical marksman.
“First thing I want to do is break into the side, keep my head down and impress. Once I stay fit, I just want to start scoring goals again and I’d be happy with that.
“But, there’s almost two good players in every position at the club and there are a lot of promising young players coming through as well. It won’t be easy to hold down your place.”
Having spent most of the last three injury-ravaged years sitting on the sidelines, you get the feeling Sheppard isn’t prepared to do anymore watching though: he still harbours hopes of securing another contract in England.
“I still have an ambition to play over there and I just need to have a good season with Cork first and that’s all I can hope for.”
His experience with Reading has in no way deterred him from pursuing a move back across the water but after his first chance came and went, Sheppard is now back at the start of the cycle hoping to do it over again.
- Originally published at 0630
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