FAI CUP FINAL 2026 COUNTDOWN: ‘Waterford gave me the chance to prove who I am’ - Tommy Lonergan

Tommy Lonergan could easily be forgiven for spending the week talking about goals.

After all, he has just finished as the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division’s top scorer with 16 goals in a battle with strike partner Pádraig Amond.

He heads into the FAI Cup Final as one of the most in-form forwards in the country.

Yet when Lonergan reflects on his season, his thoughts go elsewhere.

To Waterford. To the dressing room. To the supporters. And to the second chance that reignited his career.

“Waterford gave me the chance to prove who I am,” he said.

The words carry genuine gratitude.

After an unsuccessful spell with Fleetwood, Lonergan returned home needing somewhere to rediscover himself.

Waterford provided that opportunity.

“I went over to Fleetwood, and it didn’t work out how I wanted it to. “Waterford gave me that chance. I’m really happy that I’ve paid it back since I came to the club. The fans and the club took me in with open arms. They’ve made me happy as a player and happy as a person.”

His appreciation is obvious. The move did not simply restore his football career.

It changed him.

“I feel like I’ve really grown as a person.

“Playing with Podge and learning from Podge, not just as a footballer but as a man, has helped me massively.

“I feel like I’ve grown up.”

The relationship between Lonergan and captain Padraig Amond has become one of Waterford’s greatest strengths.

Together they have formed one of the league’s most effective strike partnerships.

More importantly, they have pushed one another every day.

“Me and Podge were the best strike partnership in the league,” Lonergan said.

“I think that’s clear to see.

“When we finally got going, we showed everyone exactly what we could do.”

THE ULTIMATE CHANCE

The remarkable thing about Lonergan’s Golden Boot success is how unlikely it once seemed.

Earlier in the season, opportunities were limited as somehow Jon Daly didn’t give him the chance.

Other players might have become frustrated. Some might have questioned themselves.

Lonergan chose a different approach.

“A few years ago I probably would have dealt with it worse,” he admitted.

“My head might have gone down. I might have doubted myself. But I’ve become mentally resilient over the last year or two.

“I knew the player I was. I knew that when my chance came I was going to take it.”

When the opportunity arrived, he seized it.

Goals followed. Confidence followed. Now a cup final awaits.

Yet despite his achievements, Lonergan repeatedly shifts praise onto others.

“It’s a nice individual accolade,” he said. “But my job is to score goals to help the team win.

“Podge and I get a lot of the plaudits, but the boys at the back have been unbelievable.

“Stevie McMullan made two of the best saves I’ve ever seen in recent games.

“Everyone contributes.”

That selflessness mirrors the culture Graham Coughlan has created.

According to Lonergan, it is the biggest reason Waterford have transformed their season.

“The gaffer keeps us all together. He never lets us get ahead of ourselves. He keeps everybody grounded.”

‘I KNEW MY CHANCE WOULD COME’

Lonergan’s story this season is one of patience and belief.

While others may have looked at the team sheet and questioned why opportunities were not coming his way, he never lost faith in his own ability.

Instead, he continued to work.

Continued to wait.

Continued to believe.

“I knew the player I was,” he said. “I knew that when I got my chance I’d take it and get back into the team.

“I wanted to show what I could do.”

His response has been emphatic.

A player who spent the early months of the season fighting for opportunities now finds himself heading into the biggest game of the year carrying the Golden Boot under his arm.

But individual honours are not what drives him.

The focus remains firmly on what might be achieved next weekend.

“It’s a nice accolade,” he repeated. “But the main thing is helping the team.”

That mentality has become one of the defining characteristics of this Waterford side.

IT’S A FAMILY IN THERE

Of all the themes running through the interview, none appears more often than togetherness.

Again and again, Lonergan returns to the same point.

“It’s a family in there,” he said. “We all love each other.

“The connection I have with this club and with the players is very special.

“To do it for the fans would mean everything.”

Those comments offer a glimpse into a dressing room that has become one of the closest-knit groups in the league.

Few outside the club expected Waterford to be preparing for an FAI Cup Final at the start of the season.

Lonergan knows that better than anyone.

“It would be a miracle story,” he said. “Nobody could ever have expected it. But we’re going to do everything we can.

“From where we’ve come from to where we are now, it would be some story.”

There is no fear in his voice when discussing opponents Derry City.

Only confidence.

Not arrogance.

Confidence.

“We’re a very confident team,” he said.

“When you look around the dressing room and see who’s beside you, why wouldn’t you be?

“I think we’re underrated.

“I don’t think people rate us highly enough.”

He points to the quality all over the pitch.

“I’m very confident in Podge.

“We’ve got such good players.

“Kev, John and Hayden at the back are three of the best centre-halves in the league and nobody really talks about them.”

For Lonergan, Waterford’s confidence is built on substance.

The belief comes from what this group has achieved together over recent months.

“Derry are obviously a really good side,” he said.

“But if we’re on it we’ve got a really good chance.”

I REALLY WANT TO DO IT FOR THE FANS

For a player who previously scored in an FAI Cup Final, this should simply be another big occasion.

Instead, Lonergan insists it feels different.

“It’ll probably be a bit more special for me this time around because of the connection I have with this club,” he said.

“The connection I have with the players in the dressing room.

“I feel like any of them will tell you it’s a family in there.”

He pauses before returning to a theme that has followed him throughout the season.

The supporters. The fans who stood by the club during a 16-game winless run.

The fans who kept turning up. The fans who never lost faith.

“Even when we went 16 games without a win they still showed up,” Lonergan said.

“They kept supporting us. Once we got that first win it just gave us momentum.

“The fans are the 12th man.”

Now thousands are expected to follow Waterford to the Aviva Stadium.

“It’s going to be unbelievable seeing all the Waterford supporters there,” he said.

“It’ll be a really special moment for all of us.”

And if Waterford can complete one final upset?

If they can turn a season that once looked destined for disappointment into one of the greatest years in the club’s history?

Lonergan knows exactly who he wants to share it with.

“I really want to do it for the fans,” he said. “They’ve stuck by us all season.

“They’re great people. They’ve always backed us. We’re not just saying it.

“I really want to do it for the people of Waterford.”

One game remains.

One final hurdle stands in the way.

For Tommy Lonergan, the journey from uncertainty to Golden Boot winner is already a story worth telling.

But one more victory could turn it into Waterford folklore for years and years to come.