Heeney ready to start the next chapter in his footballing career
Waterford FC's Luke Heeney is looking forward to the challenge that lies ahead. Photo: Double L Media
He may be only 26, but Luke Heeney already has an impressive CV with close to two hundred appearances under his belt for Drogheda United, an FAI Cup winners medal, along with a First Division medal, as well as his first big title – a national under 17 league title with St Patrick’s Athletic.
But the Meath man has now swapped the North East for the South East, becoming Jon Daly’s first big signing when he put pen to paper as soon as the transfer window opened in December.
The versatile midfielder began his career at one of the hotbeds of underage Dublin football, St Kevin’s Boys, before heading to St Patrick’s Athletic and their academy.
“The schoolboy team I played for was Kevin's, and I was there for a long time, my whole schoolboy career, before making a jump to the League of Ireland,” he recalls.
That jump to Inchicore saw him play for the Under 17’s, with whom he won the league, then graduate to the U19’s before making his first-team debut against Dundalk in 2018.
However, he jumped at the chance to move to the club he supported as a boy when Drogheda United came calling.
“I even grew up, going into Drogheda games and all as a young kid. So that would have been the club on my doorstep. There were a couple of clubs when I left Pats or whatever, but Drogheda was obviously a no-brainer, being local, and I was only young.”
And he enjoyed seven seasons at the Claret and Blue, with memories that will remain with him forever.
“Yeah, memories that would be with me for the rest of my life. Obviously, the FAI Cup being the highlight, like probably the best day of my life to date, like outside of football and inside of football.” But following the high of the FAI Cup and the thoughts of Europe, it all came crashing down when they were excluded from Europe due to the multi-club ownership regulations, which was a very bitter pill to swallow, not just for Heeney, but for everybody at Drogheda.
“Yeah, it was,” he recalls. “That whole week, and then it hit us for weeks, in the dressing room. I remember we got told just as we were playing Shamrock Rovers on a Monday.
“We got told on the way to that game that we were out of Europe, like, and then we had to go out and play that game. And it was like, yeah, it was like a funeral in there when we got told that day.
“But there was no point in feeling sorry for yourself either, because that's not going to get you anywhere. You know, the reality of it was that we were kicked out and we just had to get on with it.”
Having seen out the season at Sullivan and Lambe Park, it was time for Heeney to consider his options, and when Daly came calling, he didn’t hesitate.
“It’s probably something that I probably needed as well, because it was kind of like comfortable in Drogheda, like everyone kind of knew me. I can't wait for a fresh slate, a clean slate, like a new chapter, as such, you know, out of my comfort zone too.
“Seven years living in the same area, being with the same club, now knowing everyone, and now it's the complete opposite down here. I don't know anyone, don't know the surroundings, but yeah, no, raring to go now and can't wait to get going.” After speaking with the manager, the decision was easy.
“He rang me, and he knew a lot about me and where he's seen me kind of playing and stuff like that, and how the season in his head will pan out and his ambitions.
“I didn't take much convincing, really, because as soon as he reached out, it was something that I was interested in, yeah, for sure.
“And then I came down and saw the facilities and the area, and yeah, that was kind of it then. I was happy to sign.” And with a return to his old stomping ground on the cards for match week two, he will be back in Drogheda very quickly.
“Yeah, I think the away dressing room's a bit smaller, all right, and yeah, it'll be different, all right, yeah, going into the away dressing room for the second game!”
