When Dane Massey walked though the doors of Oriel Park surely he didn’t envisage what lay ahead of him as Stephen Kenny assembled his team on the first day of pre-season in 2013. Following a close call from relegation in 2012, the former Bray left
When Dane Massey walked though the doors of Oriel Park surely he didn’t envisage what lay ahead of him as Stephen Kenny assembled his team on the first day of pre-season in 2013.
Following a close call from relegation in 2012, the former Bray left back is poised for his third FAI Cup Final.
“Its been a whirlwind five years for myself, cup finals, league titles, the Europa league, its the kinda stuff that I couldn’t have dreamed of when I signed for Dundalk. Stephen Kenny asked me to join and take a chance and I am glad I did as my career has took off since then and its the best decision I have ever made
“We arrived in here and it was all new faces, Richie Towell was here and I had never heard of him before, there were players here who had no highlights in their career. Within a couple of weeks we got very close and it was a special group of players. It was only a matter of time before we won something or do something special and you could see it in the results it was a special group."
Massey has been a key figure in Kenny’s defence in his five years with notable attention both at home and abroad. There was even suggestions that he could be on the radar of Republic of Ireland manager Martin O’Neill. While many nights are an integral part of Massey’s highlight reel there is one that stands out the most.
“A lot of players say the game against Bate Borisov in Tallaght but for me it was the first league win against Cork City was my personal highlight. It was my first league title and it really meant something for me and my family. To get your first league title is always something you will always remember.”
Reflecting on whats been a strong end to their league campaign Massey feels the form they have shown in recent weeks will be of great benefit going into this Sunday’s final against Cork.
“We did a mid season break with a training camp in Cork, you could see from the results following the camp that we really did excel. We finished strong and we are going in confident on Sunday, everyone is in flying form and we are playing well.
“There isn’t that many opportunities to play at the Aviva Stadium, it really is just the FAI Cup so as a player playing in Ireland, you’re not going to get many opportunities to play there. This is our third year there and you cant get it for granted and you have to take in every moment. It’s a special day for the players and the families so I am really looking forward to it.”
