EIGHT YEARS AGO, Steve Staunton began his ill-fated reign as Ireland manager with one of the nation’s greatest friendly results: a 3-0 victory over the world no 16, Sweden, at Lansdowne Road.
After the leftfield appointment of Staunton, and his bold choice of 25-year-old Robbie Keane as captain, the result maintained the unpredictable start to the Staunton era.
Yet, ahead of Ireland’s next friendly, against Chile, nothing quite compared to Staunton’s shock decision to call-up 16-year-old Tottenham prodigy Terry Dixon.
“That was the best time in my career to be honest,” Dixon told TheScore.ie. “The FAI treated me well when I was young, so I felt I had to repay the faith Ireland showed in me. The FAI always looked after me and rang me. They even paid for me to stay in hotels to watch the senior team play.
“Training with the senior team was a big learning curve for me and made me realise just what I wanted. I enjoyed it a lot — I really did. Steve was a great help to me. He just treated me like I was one of the boys. I didn’t feel like I was the youngest guy there; it just felt normal.”
Remarkably, the second-youngest player in that squad, Aiden McGeady, was four years older than Dixon — who qualified for Ireland through his Cavan mother.
In the same week that Theo Walcott had been surprisingly called up by Sven-Göran Eriksson for the 2006 World Cup, Staunton made the point of calling Dixon a “special talent”.
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Andrew Paton / INPHO
Andrew Paton / INPHO / INPHO
Talk quickly turned to whether Dixon would become Ireland’s youngest ever senior international, breaking Jimmy Holmes’ 35-year record by 436 days in the process.
The stocky, technically gifted Dixon was even awarded a nickname by the national press: the Irish Wayne Rooney.
“I didn’t laugh at it. It was a nice thing to be called. At the time, I thought I was doing quite well, to be honest. You never know what I could’ve done. There were just some unfortunate times ahead.”
Those unfortunate times that Dixon alludes to have nothing to do with the fact that the striker was not summoned from the bench during Ireland’s eventual 0-1 defeat to Chile.
Rather, Dixon saw his career at the highest level destroyed by a series of long-term knee injuries.
Having been told, at 14, that he would not be able to play football again – following a disclocated knee – Dixon bounced back and joined Tottenham as a trainee apprentice in 2006.
Signing a professional contract a year later, Dixon would go on to line up alongside the likes of Jake Livermore and David Button for Tottenham’s Academy.
However, just as Dixon had a head of steam – ahead of a loan move to Championship side Charlton in 2007 – another dislocated knee injury set him back. Aged just 19, Dixon was released six months later. Lost, Dixon was offered no help or assistance.
“I never went looking for help, to be honest; I don’t know if the PFA are supposed to come to you. I never went looking for it. I hadn’t spoken to the PFA at all, but I wouldn’t like to say anything bad about them.”
It seemed Dixon’s football career was over, but he was awarded a lifeline by West Ham several months later. Impressed by his potential, the Hammers agreed to sponsor Dixon’s rehabilitation and planned to award Dixon a three-year deal if he could prove himself.
Such was the sophistication of the programme, Dixon spent two months in Belgium under Dr Marc Martens and physio Stijn Vandenbroucke.
The club’s then manager, Gianfranco Zola, was intrigued by the club’s efforts – commenting that he was curious to see what all the fuss was about.
However, despite scoring two goals in eight appearances for the reserves in 2009-10, Dixon was to suffer further heartbreak.
The difference this time, though, was that part of it was of his own making – with Dixon struggling to adjust to the life of a full-time professional off the field.
“I went to West Ham and made my own wrongdoings, as it were. I’ve got a lot of regrets about West Ham. I never gave it 100%. I never did the right things. I never gave it 100%. It was partly my own fault after I left West Ham. ”
Mick Byrne put sun cream onto the head of Terry Dixon in 2006. Andrew Paton / INPHO
Andrew Paton / INPHO / INPHO
Since leaving West Ham, Dixon has played for six clubs and the striker’s only senior, league football to date was three appearances with Stevenage in 2011.
Having to ice his swollen knee after every training session to this day, the 24-year-old is still scarred by his decade of recurring injuries.
While Dixon’s dream of playing in the Premier League and being capped for Ireland seems a distant memory, the striker is just thankful to still be playing football part-time with Dunstable Town.
“I’m just starting to enjoy football again. I’ve got a job Monday to Friday, as well, so I’m able to play football Tuesday and Thursday night, with a game on Saturday. I’ve started to get fit and score a few goals, so onwards and upwards.”
The 'Irish Wayne Rooney' Terry Dixon back enjoying his football again
EIGHT YEARS AGO, Steve Staunton began his ill-fated reign as Ireland manager with one of the nation’s greatest friendly results: a 3-0 victory over the world no 16, Sweden, at Lansdowne Road.
After the leftfield appointment of Staunton, and his bold choice of 25-year-old Robbie Keane as captain, the result maintained the unpredictable start to the Staunton era.
Yet, ahead of Ireland’s next friendly, against Chile, nothing quite compared to Staunton’s shock decision to call-up 16-year-old Tottenham prodigy Terry Dixon.
“That was the best time in my career to be honest,” Dixon told TheScore.ie. “The FAI treated me well when I was young, so I felt I had to repay the faith Ireland showed in me. The FAI always looked after me and rang me. They even paid for me to stay in hotels to watch the senior team play.
“Training with the senior team was a big learning curve for me and made me realise just what I wanted. I enjoyed it a lot — I really did. Steve was a great help to me. He just treated me like I was one of the boys. I didn’t feel like I was the youngest guy there; it just felt normal.”
Remarkably, the second-youngest player in that squad, Aiden McGeady, was four years older than Dixon — who qualified for Ireland through his Cavan mother.
In the same week that Theo Walcott had been surprisingly called up by Sven-Göran Eriksson for the 2006 World Cup, Staunton made the point of calling Dixon a “special talent”.
Talk quickly turned to whether Dixon would become Ireland’s youngest ever senior international, breaking Jimmy Holmes’ 35-year record by 436 days in the process.
The stocky, technically gifted Dixon was even awarded a nickname by the national press: the Irish Wayne Rooney.
“I didn’t laugh at it. It was a nice thing to be called. At the time, I thought I was doing quite well, to be honest. You never know what I could’ve done. There were just some unfortunate times ahead.”
Those unfortunate times that Dixon alludes to have nothing to do with the fact that the striker was not summoned from the bench during Ireland’s eventual 0-1 defeat to Chile.
Rather, Dixon saw his career at the highest level destroyed by a series of long-term knee injuries.
Having been told, at 14, that he would not be able to play football again – following a disclocated knee – Dixon bounced back and joined Tottenham as a trainee apprentice in 2006.
Signing a professional contract a year later, Dixon would go on to line up alongside the likes of Jake Livermore and David Button for Tottenham’s Academy.
However, just as Dixon had a head of steam – ahead of a loan move to Championship side Charlton in 2007 – another dislocated knee injury set him back. Aged just 19, Dixon was released six months later. Lost, Dixon was offered no help or assistance.
It seemed Dixon’s football career was over, but he was awarded a lifeline by West Ham several months later. Impressed by his potential, the Hammers agreed to sponsor Dixon’s rehabilitation and planned to award Dixon a three-year deal if he could prove himself.
Such was the sophistication of the programme, Dixon spent two months in Belgium under Dr Marc Martens and physio Stijn Vandenbroucke.
The club’s then manager, Gianfranco Zola, was intrigued by the club’s efforts – commenting that he was curious to see what all the fuss was about.
However, despite scoring two goals in eight appearances for the reserves in 2009-10, Dixon was to suffer further heartbreak.
The difference this time, though, was that part of it was of his own making – with Dixon struggling to adjust to the life of a full-time professional off the field.
“I went to West Ham and made my own wrongdoings, as it were. I’ve got a lot of regrets about West Ham. I never gave it 100%. I never did the right things. I never gave it 100%. It was partly my own fault after I left West Ham. ”
Since leaving West Ham, Dixon has played for six clubs and the striker’s only senior, league football to date was three appearances with Stevenage in 2011.
Having to ice his swollen knee after every training session to this day, the 24-year-old is still scarred by his decade of recurring injuries.
While Dixon’s dream of playing in the Premier League and being capped for Ireland seems a distant memory, the striker is just thankful to still be playing football part-time with Dunstable Town.
“I’m just starting to enjoy football again. I’ve got a job Monday to Friday, as well, so I’m able to play football Tuesday and Thursday night, with a game on Saturday. I’ve started to get fit and score a few goals, so onwards and upwards.”
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David Button Gianfranco Zola Jake Livermore Jimmy Holmes Joey O'Brien Prodigy Steve Staunton Terry Dixon Theo Walcott