August, 2009
In August, 2009, I met with Chonburi's British born player, Michael Byrne. We chatted for a couple of hours and he very kindly agreed to answer a few questions about his career. This is the first interview that appeared on my original website.
Me - OK. Can we start by clearing up something that seems to be causing a bit of confusion? Are you English or Welsh?
MB - I'm half Welsh and half English. My dad is from Wales, which is why I chose to play for the Welsh national team at U21 level when I was given the opportunity. I was actually born in Ashton-Under-Lyne.
Me - That's not far from where I was born. So you must be an Oldham Athletic fan?
MB - No. I support Manchester City.
Me - Moving swiftly on....Can you tell me something about your career?
MB - I started at Bolton Wanderes and then moved to Stockport County. I scored on my debut for Stockport against Notts County. From there I moved to Northwich Victoria and on to Forest Green Rovers.
Me - So how did you end up in Thailand? And at Nakorn Pathom?
MB - I had a friend who was playing in Malaysia who knew an agent based in SE Asia. I contacted the agent and he informed a couple of Thai clubs that I was available and keen to come to Thailand. Nakorn Pathom were one of the clubs and I was impressed by their set up so I joined them.
Me - What did you know about Thai football before you came?
MB - Not a lot but I did some research on the internet so I was aware of how popular the game was becoming and the names of some of the teams.It was quite difficult because, obviously, a lot of the information was in Thai.
Me - How did you end up signing for Chonburi?
MB - I'd been playing well at Nakorn Pathom and was aware that a few teams were interested in signing me. Zico (Chonburi coach) phoned me just before the last round of matches in the First Leg. He spoke of his philosophy and really sold the club to me. I agreed to meet with the Chonburi officials and signed shortly afterwards.
Me - How have you settled in at Chonburi?
MB - Really well. Everyone has been so helpful. Not just with the football side of things but helping me find somewhere to live, buying furniture etc. They've made things so easy for me.
Me - And what about your new team mates?
MB - They've all been great. It was strange at first because so many of them were away with the national team. So I got to meet one group of lads during the trip to the north east and then I felt like the new boy again when all the others came back.
Me - What about the language barrier? Are you able to communicate with the other players?
MB - Kosin speaks very good English and most of the others have some. Kone has been brilliant. He speaks about six different languages, including Thai and some obscure African dialects. (Kone actually phones during our conversation to inform Michael of the time and location of the next training session)
Me - Do you have any plans to learn Thai?
MB - I can understand quite a lot of what is being said and I know a lot of footballing terms. I will try and take some lessons soon.
Me - What differences have you found in the training methods at Chonburi to you previous clubs?
MB - Zico is a very forward thinking coach. He obviously learned a lot from his time at Huddersfield and is trying to introduce some of those methods to our training sessions. The coaches have a very professional approach and we work on improving our fitness and ball skills. I've heard that a lot of Thai clubs train for too long. We have got things right at Chonburi, so it's not that different to what I'm used to. We really have quality training sessions.
Me - Do you ever talk to Zico about his time at Huddersfield?
MB - We've had one or two chats about it. He enjoyed his time there but didn't like the cold!
Me - And what about the two lads who went to City?
MB - Again, they said they learned a lot but hated the cold weather.
Me - Which do you think is your best position?
MB - I prefer centre midfield but I'm happy to play on either wing. I started out as a striker at Bolton and Stockport, and was coached by Frank Stapleton (ex-Man Utd) but Mike Marsh (ex-Liverpool) converted me into a central midfielder when he was at Northwich Victoria. I think that it helps my overall game having played in so many positions. For example, I'm able to understand what sort of service the strikers need. I have a particularly good understanding with Kone and seem to know instinctively where he'll be or where he'll be making a run.
Me - Have you had to adapt your style of play for the TPL?
MB - Yes. I've had to cut down on the physical approach. The referees here don't seem to like any sort of physical challenges. Obviously growing up in England this is a huge part of the game. I learned pretty quickly that I couldn't get away with some of my tackles here so have had to adapt accordingly. Otherwise I'd always be suspended (laughs).
Me - How supportive have your family and friends been about your move to Thailand?
MB - Extremely. My parents have been out a few times already and my mum is due out again in a couple of weeks. My girlfriend has also just arrived from England one or two of my mates have been over to watch me play.
Me - Is there much interest in your progress back in England?
MB - Yes. A lot of my former team mates are very keen to hear how I'm getting on. They are all following my career with interest.
Me - So do you think that we'll see more English players playing in Thailand?
MB - It's possible, yes.
Me - When you first signed for Nakorn Pathom there was another English lad, Michael Aspin, who came with you. What happened to him?
MB - Michael was only 19 when he came and he felt a bit homesick. He wasn't playing regularly, which didn't help, so he moved back home. The club were really good to him and fully understood how he was feeling. Michael is a good player and I'm sure he'll do well in England.
Me - Realistically which trophies do you think we can win this season?
MB - With the size and quality of squad that we have there is no reason why we can't be challenging for them all. It's certainly our aim to win everything. We know that it won't be easy so we must stay focused and work hard, especially after the last two disappointing results.
Me - What are your personal long term ambitions?
MB - I don't tend to think about the long term. I prefer to concentrate on short term goals and take things as they come. So at the moment, my ambition is to become a permanent member of the first team at Chonburi. I'm here to do a job for the team and I want to help them win things. It's much better for me to stay focused on doing what I'm doing in the present.
Me - What do you think about Thailand?
MB - I love it! The people are so friendly and everyone has been so helpful. I'm very happy at the moment and really enjoying life.
Me - What do you think about the Chonburi fans?
MB - They are brilliant. They have been very welcoming and have made it easy for me to settle in. They are very passionate and supportive. You never hear them getting on player's backs if we make a mistake. It's also great to see large numbers travelling to away games. As a player, it's always a big boost when you have such support.
Me - And what about Thai football fans in general?
MB - I love the way that at the end of the game both teams go and pay their respects to the opposing bench and fans. The fans of the other team will always stay behind to applaud you. That's something that I'd never experienced before. I've always maintained that as a player I have a duty to the people who pay to watch me. I love being able to chat to the fans of both teams after matches and I'm happy to pose for photographs. Football would be nothing without the spectators and I really appreciate the fact that people will turn up in numbers to watch a game of football.
Me - OK, one final question. Have you ever played at Boundary Park (home of Oldham Athletic)?
MB - Yes, I played there for Stockport.
Me - Did you win?
MB - I think we lost 1-0. My dad did used to take me to watch Oldham when Joe Royle was the manager in the early 90's. But I was only young so I don't remember too much about it. (At this point, I went all misty eyed and started to reminisce about the great Oldham team of that period).
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