The list of Irish footballers plying their trade in Belgium is not long.
However, there are some notable examples.
Former Shamrock Rovers star Liam Buckley spent two years at KSV Waregem in the 1980s, while former Ireland international Dominic Foley spent a nomadic spell at Ghent and Cercle Brugge, making nearly 200 appearances in total.
Ireland star Josh Cullen and former Crystal Palace youngster Jake O’Brien have recently linked up with Anderlecht and RWD Molenbeek respectively.
Ireland Under-21 international Matt Healy is the latest player to try his luck in Belgium, having signed for Belgian second-division side Royal Franxx Borans in July last year.
The midfielder has made a great start, scoring twice in his first three league games, including a 3-1 win over title contenders Zulte Waregem.
However, the early momentum slowed for both Healy and the team.
At the time of writing, they sit second from the bottom in Division B. Healy started the first 14 league games but had to be content with substitute appearances in the last two games before the recent long winter break, which gave him playing time. I will be returning to Ireland for 10 days over the Christmas period.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to play in most, if not every game, so I think I’ve done relatively well,” Healy said. 42.
“We have to stick together and get through it. Hopefully we can get out of this patch and get a few wins because the league is very close. A few wins and we’ll move up the table quickly.”
Moving to an unfamiliar country presented challenges for Healy both on and off the pitch.
He currently lives alone in Ireland, trying to advance his career while his friends and family watch from afar.
French is the predominant language spoken at the club’s home base, Busse, and Healy cites the language barrier as his biggest challenge in adapting to this new life.
“I only know a little French, so most of the time I don’t understand what they’re saying. One of the players who speaks English sits next to me in meetings and things like that and translates for me. So it’s a little different than what I’ve experienced in the past.
“I did a little bit. [of practice] To be fair, I mention Duolingo, but that’s it. Maybe I should start studying a little more.I thought I’d pick it up as you go along, but somehow I realized that that’s not really how it works.
“I have a football phrase. If someone says something on the pitch, I kind of know what it means because I’ve heard it so many times around the pitch. So at least now I have that.”
During the summer, Healy said he had offers from both English and Irish clubs, in addition to Royal Franks Bolan, after being released by Ipswich Town, the club he joined as a 16-year-old.
A big reason he chose Belgium was the success fellow Corkonian Jake O’Brien had there last year, with whom he shares an agent.
O’Brien also played in the second division and attracted attention for Molenbeek, before earning a move to French club Lyon and breaking into Ligue 1’s first team.
“I definitely kept an eye on Jake’s movements last year and also talked to him about the league and what it’s like and stuff like that to get an idea of that,” Healy says. .
“He told me how many options he had after this one season here and how much it made his career.
“And to be honest, I think I just wanted to grow my profile and my resume as big as possible.
“I felt like there was a way to make a career out of the game, which is what everyone wants, right?”
Healy admits emulating O’Brien’s progress is easier said than done, but like his fellow Irishman, he hopes the Challenger Pro League can be a “stepping stone” to great days to come. ing.
“Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s hard here too. It’s a little scary having to live alone in a foreign country, away from yourself.
“But sometimes you have to step out of your comfort zone and sometimes learn a different football culture. That will only help you in the end.
“As an Irish kid you always want to play in England, but you have to look ahead. It’s a big continent too and you can play a lot of football there.”
Healy sees Belgian football as a “step up” from the Irish League, but while he acknowledges the importance of a season-and-a-half loan with Cork City, where the midfielder first tasted senior football, he still remains a former player. Colin Healy (no relation), who is in regular talks with the director.
Additionally, with most of his friends and family back in Ireland, the 21-year-old needs another means of entertaining himself in his downtime, and the welcome outlet of regular solo trips to a nearby golf course I found it.
“You have a whole life, not just football. So you need a distraction. I’m into golf, so that helps distract me.
“To be honest, it’s not that big here. There’s a golf course about 20 minutes away. But there aren’t many golf courses around here. It’s just not as big as England or Ireland.
“I’m the only one [on the team] Some people play golf, but I don’t care about that. Because it’s a few hours away from home. ”