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Cillian Sheridan on being Ireland's only Champions League representative

And then there was one! That 'one' is APOEL Nicosia striker Cillian Sheridan, who will be the on...



Cillian Sheridan on being Irel...
Soccer

Cillian Sheridan on being Ireland's only Champions League representative

And then there was one!

That 'one' is APOEL Nicosia striker Cillian Sheridan, who will be the only Irish player in the upcoming Champions League group stages.

The Ireland cap scored last night against Denmark's AaB as the Cypriot club did what his former club Celtic could not do by getting through the qualifying playoffs. 

The Cavan man joined us on Off The Ball tonight to talk about being the last man standing and what it is like to play in Cyprus.

"The heat plays a factor. It's a slower pace and a slower tempo. It's basically impossible to play a running game," said Sheridan, who has previously played in Scotland and Bulgaria.

"Football-wise, it's very technical and life is more laid back. They're very, very friendly people."

Once the option of signing for APOEL came up last summer, Sheridan says he moved with the intention to sign rather than taking a look before committing.

Sheridan is also not fazed by the nomadic lifestyle, given that he already had the upheaval of moving to Britain in his teens like most Irish players, although it was more a question of fate rather than a plan he set out with.

"Things like homesickness have never affected me," he said, adding that going to CSKA Sofia in Bulgaria at a young age would put him in "good stead" for the rest of his career.

But he also feels that he appreciated this season's Champions League adventure more than the time he faced Manchester United in the competition back in 2008 for Celtic.

The 25-year-old also spoke about the prospect of playing for Ireland again and how he nearly ended up becoming an Australian Rules player instead.

 

 

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