interview

British football has been drafting in foreign talent for many years now and, as any commentator will tell you, getting the pronunciation of the names of assorted Italians, Japanese, Greeks, Uruguayans and Slovaks can be a testing business. But you’d think we’d be on the money when it comes to calling those who have just hopped over the Irish Sea wouldn’t you?

Actually, not so much.

And so, while he might not be a new signing like Flood, Zola et al, we have got a new name to conjure with this term. Let us all welcome Joe Shock-na-say.

“I don’t know why everyone finds it hard to say over here! It was the same when I was down in England, everyone used to say it wrong [Sean-na-say] so I just got used to it. I have had journalists from Ireland messaging me on twitter saying ‘we need to get them pronouncing your name right’. I did not realise it was such a big thing. I know my dad went and corrected the RedTV commentators at the Hearts game at the end of the season so the two Daves are saying it right now. Hopefully the others will follow! I believe it surprised a few of the RedTV listeners who thought we had signed a new player but I am sure people will soon get used to it and it will catch on”.

Shaughnessy is a name we should get used to saying as he looks destined to be part of the Dons set up for many years to come. He also has some famous family members as well.

“I have two brothers and two sisters. My little brother Conor is at Reading. He actually knows Michael Hector who has just joined us from them on loan. He is in his second year as a full time professional and really enjoying it. He is a central midfielder and is six foot three! He has a decent chance of making it in the game.

“And then my older sister Fiona is an actress. She has been in quite a few productions but the biggest thing she has been in recently is “Utopia” on channel 4, which was quite big down in England I believe. She had the main role in that and the programme did very well, so they are starting a new second series now. It is definitely the biggest role she has played to date because when she is walking around London people recognise her and come up and speak to her. Her character, Jessica Hyde, was crazy and went about killing everyone so some people are scared to go over and talk to her!

“Unfortunately I don’t see the family as often as I would like but we are all really close. Leaving them to come over here at 17 was not as hard as you would think. I knew I was coming over to play football so I was very excited about being able to play football every day and get paid for it! After you get over that, it does hit you a bit but I never really got homesick.

“This is my fifth year now in Aberdeen. I have just turned 21 and have had to grow up considerably during that time. It is amazing how quickly the time has gone. I am very much settled in now and hope to stay in the city for a good while yet. Aberdeen pretty much feels like home”.

As well as having a famous sister and fellow footballing brother, some of the players thought Joe had a twin brother join the club, such that Joe is now known as Joe 1 and Scott McKenna as Joe 2! “I think it was Langers or Reynolds who came up with the name and it has stuck! It was at the Buckie game that Scott came into the squad for the first time. He is the same size as me, similar hair still, and when someone said it I though “I am not going to hear the end of it” and I have not! When we were in Ireland, Scott hung around with myself and Nicky. One day Scott fell asleep in my bed when a few of the boys and I had gone into Dublin. Poor Nicky did not realise it was not me so the poor boy got a bit of a shocker when I came back into the room!”

Anyone who has not seen the footage on RedTV should check out Mark Reynolds video diary from Dublin!

“As well as looking like me he plays just as good as me! No, seriously, Scott has a very bright future ahead of him in the game”.

A trip back to Ireland, even in pre-season, must be welcome for a young man who has spent a lot of his life away from home.

“It was nice going back to Ireland for pre-season. In a number of the games I came up against players I had played with or against when I was younger. It was also great that my family could all come up and watch me play. There is a lot of interest in Ireland in Aberdeen now because of all the Irish players. There is a lot of interest in Galway in how I am getting on and I am sure it is the same up in Dublin with Willo and Jonny and in Northern Ireland with Josh and Niall. In one of the Irish papers, they have a page with a list of every Irish player who is playing abroad and what clubs they are at. My name was not on it when I first came over here so someone wrote to the paper to get me added which was nice!

“Leaving home at such a young age is something that probably only footballers do. A lot of my friends are just in their final year of university at the moment. I have been working for five years!

You have to grow up quickly and toughen up and it is quite hard especially as you see team mates being released. I feel quite fortunate to still be here and to get my chance with the first team.

“At the start of last season when I was in the final year of my contract, I was concerned about my future. I had been involved in most of the pre-season games in Germany, played quite well and was feeling good about the season ahead but was then completely left out of the squad in the opening fixture against Celtic. I went to the furthest away trips at Kilmarnock and Ross County and had to sit in the stand. At that point you start to think it maybe is not meant to be. Then in October, out of the blue, about five of us got taken upstairs to Duncan Fraser’s office and a two year contract was put in front of me. I was quite taken a back to be offered a deal so early in the season but I was absolutely delighted. Then all of a sudden things started to happen for me. A couple of weeks later I started the Inverness CT game and things just took off after that. I will always be grateful to Craig Brown for giving me that chance and the work Neil Cooper did with me at youth level.

“In that first game against Inverness, I played left wing-back. I was completely out of my comfort zone. I had also never played right-back until I was moved there but I am now enjoying the position. I have played something like 27 games so I feel very comfortable there. Every game, you learn something and it is good to play alongside Russell as he really helps you. He talks you though the games. He has so much experience to pass on.

“The manager has said he wants the full-backs to get forward, especially at home. He wants the team to attack and wants everyone to play their part so the team can be positive. At the same time he reminds us that first and foremost we are defenders and what our defensive duties are. Last season we had a very good defensive record, though you would not expect that from where we finished in the league, especially as two young players in me and Clark came into the side and we lost Andrew for half the season. It was very encouraging and hopefully we can be even stronger defensively this season.

“When I watch games, I used to always take notice of what the centre-halves did but now I also study what the right-back does. Although if I am watching a Scottish game, I am normally looking to see what the left sided midfielder is doing and how they attack down the left side as I know I will be coming against them at some point!

“I share a flat with Nicky Low and he watches so much football it is crazy! Any country, any league. He will sit in his room watching games on his laptop that are not even on TV. He has an incredible knowledge of the game. Every team we played against last season he was able to tell me who I was playing against and give me detailed information about them. He even knew all the players at U20 level! The new manager gives us detailed information on the opposition so I don’t have to rely on Nicky so much! We do a lot more video work with our video analyst Greig Thomson who does a great job.

“I have been very impressed with everything the new manager has done since coming in. He is so enthusiastic and everything he says makes you want to be part of his plans. He has a very clear vision of what he wants to happen at the club. He understands the importance of having a good team spirit. He says that team spirit along can get you a few points over the course of the season. For example in a tight game which is still level going into that final 10 minutes, team spirit can drive everyone on, and you are more likely to win more games than lose”.

Whilst Scotland were doing battle with the old enemy in midweek, Joe was in the Faroe Islands with the Ireland U21s. Ireland won and Joe played the full game, up against former Don Gilli Sorensen! It is an extremely strong looking squad, with many of the players involved with English Premiership sides.

“After I was involved at U19 level it took me a while to get a call up for the U21s but I was very keen to be involved because it is such a big thing. The next step up is into the full squad. I have been capped three times in the last three months and am delighted to be involved in such a strong squad.

“At international level, I have played at right-back so all my football at the top level has been played at full-back. Whether my long term future is in that position or at centre-half I don’t know. It is not something that really bothers me at the moment”.

Back to domestic issues and Joe is confident about the season ahead. “I think we have created more chances by getting the ball forward quicker. We have a lot of pace in the side with Niall, Jonny, Josh, Peter and Gregg. They are all so quick and there are not a lot of defences that would be able to handle three or four quick players running at them. To utilise that pace, you need players who can play them in and time their passes and with Willo, Barry and Ryan, we have midfielders who can do that.

“A lot of people are already talking about finishing second but it is not often a team goes from so low down all the way up to there in one season. There is a lot of hard work that still needs to be done. The first aim has to be to get into the top six as we have not been there for a number of seasons now. Once we get there, anything can happen in those last five games. It would be really good this season to get a good run in the cups. I know how much it would mean to the fans and I can assure everyone that it means just as much to the players”.