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Goalkeeper Niall Corbet had a chat with UCDSOCCER.COM about life at the club

With three top class goalkeepers already at the club, UCD are blessed with plenty of safe hands between the posts but another promising young shot stopper is making his way up through the ranks.

Irish international Niall Corbet is settling into life on campus and took time out from his busy schedule to speak to Ryan Bailey about combining football and study.

He may have just joined the elite scholarship programme a few weeks ago but Niall Corbet has been on the books in Belfield for a couple of seasons now and continues to impress in a UCD shirt.

College

Before moving on to discuss his football, Niall told me about his course;

“I’m studying Food Science which is a four year course. I have a big interest in biology and all aspects of food so I felt the course would suit me and it would be a course I would enjoy.” 

Niall lives in the Elite Athletes accommodation on campus, he has his own en suite room with his own fridge and WIFI but shares the overall apartment and kitchen/sitting room facilities with 11 other elite athletes from a number of different sports.

“This scholarship scheme is a great chance for any young athlete to exceed in their sport but at the same time do well in exams. It has lots to offer with two meals a day and great accommodation. I’m living with other athletes which has made it easier to settle in.”

So what Niall’s first couple of weeks living on campus away from home been like?

“The first couple weeks have been very enjoyable between getting to know so many new people with 12 being in my apartment. There's a lot to take in about people and it’s very hard to remember it all. It’s been a challenge balancing gym sessions with George (High Performance Coach), as well as college work and training,  but after the first few weeks you get in to a routine.”

Routine will be a key word for Corbet, with a busy schedule of lectures, early morning gym sessions and well are three training sessions on the pitch a week and a game but it’s something he hopes to balance;

“At the moment George is quite flexible and we have being going to see him twice a week but stepping up to three soon which will be enjoyable. I need to improve some aspects of my physical condition. Sleep is very important because at the end of every day you are just completely drained.”

 Football

The 17-year-old began his footballing career at a young age but started plying his trade as a striker until as he says "I was thrown in goal and have stayed there ever since!"

It wasn't until he got a bit older that he started to take the game seriously and as his talent between the sticks became evident he was signed by highly renowned Dublin side Home Farm FC. It was his performances there that caught the eye of UCD AFC goalkeeping coach John Power but without knowing that he had been scouted, Niall attended the UCD trials last June where he was quickly signed up by Martin Russell.

With Ger Barron, Mark McGinley and John Kelly already in the first team squad, opportunities have been hard to come by but Niall has firmly established himself as  a key part of the very successful U19 side who recently kicked off their new season.

The Dr Tony O'Neill U19 league is in its second year and under the guidance of Albert Sugg and Jamie Moore, UCD have experienced an impressive start to the season as they sit tip of the Elite Division and Corbet believes the league is key for the development of young players;

"Having the 19s League gives all us young lads a chance to get experience at the highest level and gives us a chance to play against the best players around in all the top stadiums. It's a great stepping stone to the first team, with so many former 19s players breaking into first teams now, especially in UCD." He explained.

The young shot stopper commented on the great start the U19s have had so far; "We've  had a great start with five wins from six. It's always nice to win games but as a team we always want to perform well and impress."

 His eye-catching displays have just been limited to the domestic stage as Niall has already won international recognition for the Irish U18 and schools side and inevitably it was a great experience.

"I got a great chance last year to play with U18s under Paul Doolin which was a fantastic experience. Unfortunately we lost but we performed well and I also went away with the Irish schools side to play Australia as well as being part of the squad who travelled to play England and Wales"

With injuries to Barron and Kelly, Niall was given the chance to showcase his talent for the first team at the start of the season against Firhouse and despite watching the Airtricity League games from the stand, the teenager knows his time will come;

"It was the first time I had played first team football and you could see the step up from youth level. Everything was quicker and sharper with players also being more physical but to get picked to play was great and it also I was performing well and both Martin and John have faith in me." He said.

"For me it's about doing my best for the 19s every week and being a part of the first team for me is a great bonus and to be on bench for a lot of the start of the season was great as I was only 16 and really didn’t except to be there." Corbet admitted.

Looking ahead to the future, Niall admits all he can do is just keep working hard in training and performing for the U19s.

"My aims are currently to keep playing for the 19s every week, keeping clean sheets and to push Ger, Mark and John in training." However he isn't getting too carried away and is solely focusing on the short term; "Everyone wants to do well every week and it's just a bonus when you hear people talking about you. Every players wants to get as high as they can on the footballing ladder but he have to take one step at a time."