Exclusive: Jonathan Douglas on Steve Staunton, Mick McCarthy and becoming an agent

Jonathan Douglas only has fond memories of his time in a green jersey.

He won eight senior international caps and was a regular during the tumultuous Steve Staunton era.

Douglas was part of history as he started in the first soccer international to be staged at Croke Park, a 1-0 victory over Wales where Stephen Ireland scored the winner.

Playing on the hallowed turf is a fond memory for Douglas.

"Looking back, I was playing in the Championship and playing well with Brentford, you might think, 'I could have won a couple more caps'. But now that I'm retired I just think I've been really luck to live out a dream," he told BuzzSport. "Growing up as a young lad from Clones your dream is either to play soccer for Ireland or Gaelic football for Monaghan at Croke Park. I was lucky enough to do that in front of 80 odd thousand, a dream come true for me. I'm very proud of it [his Ireland career]."

Steve Staunton's reign ultimately went down as a failure but Douglas has a lot of respect for the man and he feels that the Ireland legend deserves more of it from supporters.

"Of course it was great, he picked me!" said Douglas. "I think what happened in his time as manager took a little bit of gloss off the career he had for Ireland. He was an exceptional player. Especially with lockdown, people have an opportunity to look back. Channels are showing old World Cup games and stuff, Steve Staunton was one of the best to ever represent Ireland in my opinion."

"His managerial career with Ireland didn't go to plan, but from the offset I don't think he was given a fair crack of the whip to be honest," he added. "That's the decision the FAI made, it is disappointing, especially as an ex-player looking back, I don't think the Irish people give him the credit he deserves - not necessarily as a manager but certainly in relation to his playing career."

"I was lucky enough to play against Wales in the first game at Croke Park. All my family were there, it's one I look back on and feel very proud to have played for Ireland in Croke Park, I love Gaelic football, love Monaghan, if I didn't become a footballer I would have gone down the Gaelic route.

"So it was special to play in Croke Park, it wasn't for Monaghan but the next best thing was definitely for Ireland! To be a part of history was amazing, and it was good that we won the game as well."

"Playing for Ireland, it doesn't really matter where it is," he added. "You're pulling on that green jersey, it's always great but it was even more special in front of 80 odd thousand people at Croke Park."

Douglas enjoyed spells at the likes of Blackburn Rovers, Brentford and Leeds United in a very successful career in English football.

He finished up at Ipswich where he played under Mick McCarthy. He only has good things to say about the former Ireland boss.

"I loved it. I look back at my time with Ipswich with a little bit of regret, things didn't work out on the pitch but he made it a lot easier for me to be honest. He treated me as a human first, if he knew things weren't going well he'd tell me to go home to Ireland for a few days and come back.

"I had a young daughter living in Ireland, she'd just moved back, so stuff like that can be carried on to the field and your performance might not be what you want it to be.

"Playing under Mick was great, I think he wanted to sign me when I was at Leeds so to finally get the opportunity to play for him was brilliant. Looking back, he's probably one of the best managers I've had the pleasure of playing under.

"He knew how to treat everybody with respect, as long as he could trust you he was great."

While Douglas understood the FAI's decision to stick to the contract originally offered to Stephen Kenny, he feels it was "harsh" on McCarthy.

"Personally I think it was harsh, I'm sure he would have liked to finish the job and get us qualified. The way the world is, that wasn't possible. I think it was a bit harsh that Mick didn't get to finish the job but there's a new man in now, I'm an Irish supporter and I wish Stephen Kenny all the best."

Early on in his career, Douglas got the opportunity to play under Graeme Souness at Blackburn.

He thoroughly enjoyed the experience and even compared Souness to McCarthy.

"He's great, another man like Mick McCarthy who would always treat you well. I used to support Liverpool growing up and Graeme Souness is a Liverpool legend.

"He was always encouraging to me, most days after training he'd have a word with you, where he thought I could improve and stuff like that. When there's advice coming from a man who won three European Cups as a player, you're always going to want to take that on board."

Douglas got to know David McGoldrick well during his time at Ipswich and he feels the only surprise about his late emergence on the international stage is that he didn't break though sooner.

"He was head and shoulders the best player at Ipswich at the time. Some of the stuff he'd do on the training ground was mind-blowing.

"Although he probably hasn't had the goals that he wants, his all round play with Ireland has been exceptional. He's a great lad off the field, I still keep in touch and he's a good friend.

"The only surprise to me was that he wasn't playing before this [for Ireland], under previous Ireland managers. For whatever reason, different managers and tactics.

"The ability he had meant he still should have been playing, a little bit like Wes Hoolahan."

Douglas initially targeted a career in coaching after he retired, a familiar route for former footballers.

However, he decided on the road less travelled after a couple of former teammates asked him for help in finding new clubs.

"You leave home at 16 and move over with this dream of becoming a footballer, unfortunately for a lot of young lads who had that dream, it doesn't come true for them.

"I was lucky enough that it did come true for me. I was lucky when I moved over to be at a great club with four or five other Irish lads who moved over. To this day, 20 years on, we're all still good mates.

"I did my coaching B licence and was going to do my A, but six or seven months after retirement I went down a different route.

"Two or three younger players who had been teammates were asking me if I could help them out in trying to find clubs and stuff because I've been in the game a long time."

Since setting up his own business 18 months ago, Douglas hasn't looked back and he's enjoying life as an agent.

"You get a lot of contacts over the years so I helped them out and decided, 'I can do this', so I set up my own business and I've been working as an agent for the past 18 months.

"It's been pretty slow lately obviously due to the pandemic but it's been good.

"As a small company, it's a challenge going up against the big boys but it's one I'm enjoying, and it's great still being in football and going to watch games regularly."

With his own experience in the game, he feels he can offer a different perspective, especially for young Irish players.

"It's very different to my previous work, you have to start all over again, but it's a challenge I'm enjoying.

"I'd like to bring a few more young lads from Ireland over and guide them on a similar path to the one I had.

"I've the experience of moving away from home, being homesick, wanting to leave and a lot of agents now don't realise that a young lad can get homesick.

"I can tell the parents from experience, I know what your son could go through, there can be some dark times, it can be hard at Christmas time, holidays, family weddings. I can tell them, 'sometimes he will be stuck in England on his own and it will be difficult'.

"A lot of other agencies don't see that, and haven't had those experiences. When I was out injured for ten months, every couple of weeks I was ringing home saying, 'I've had enough, I want to come home'.

"You can get homesick and you need your family but a good agent can help you pull through. I'd like to do that to help some young lads with the same dream I had.

"A lot of young people are speaking more now about their demons, mental health issues and stuff like that which is great. But there's still a lot of young men, especially in football, who won't talk. Being there for them and explaining, 'I know exactly what you're going through, I've been there, done it', I think I can make a difference.

"Sometimes they don't want to be a burden on their parents at home in Ireland, they don't want to worry them, I'd like to be able to take that worry and be somebody the young player can ring up.

"Sometimes it just takes a five or ten minute chat, a catch up for a coffee, and it can help a whole lot.

"As human beings we go through ups and downs and sometimes a little chat can help.

"It's something I'd love to do for years, if it doesn't work out I might go down the coaching route but for the time-being I'm really enjoying it."

It's clear speaking to Douglas that he's passionate about the job. He sees the young man from Clones trying to make his mark in England in other young footballers and it's now his goal to help them achieve their dreams.

"I've been here since I was 16, being told what to eat, when to train and stuff. I'm enjoying being my own boss and being able to come back to Ireland when I want to. My daughter still lives in Clones so it's good to be able to go over and back.

"I'm passionate about it, I don't think there's enough agents out there with experiences as a player, so that's the market I'm going for and hopefully I can help some young Irish players fulfill their dreams like I did."