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Luke McNally press conference | Bolton Wanderers vs Bristol City · Bristol City

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_02: Hey look, firstly, welcome back.
• 0:01
  SPEAKER_02: What has it been like the past few weeks just to be back playing back with the team?
• 0:04
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, unreal.
• 0:05
  SPEAKER_01: Um, very hard to describe, like how I feel really.
• 0:09
  SPEAKER_01: Just been a whirlwind month, even just since even playing that 21s game against Peterborough, I think that was the 15th of September.
• 0:17
  SPEAKER_01: So in such a short space of time, um, obviously took so long to come back, but then this part of it has gone really quickly, so yeah, very happy.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_02: Did it feel at times like it was just never gonna happen?
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_02: I it did it was there ever kind of a concern that it that you know you were never gonna come back?
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_02: It must have felt like it was it was kind of such a long time out.
• 0:35
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah, probably at times it did.
• 0:37
  SPEAKER_01: Um yeah, there was definitely times I wasn't sure if I'd if I'd come back or or play, you know, a championship game where there was there was definitely a lot of times like that, but there was also a lot of times where I just knew it'd kind of work out for me in the end somehow.
• 0:52
  SPEAKER_01: Um and thankfully it did, yeah.
• 0:54
  SPEAKER_02: Because I am I right that you had a few setbacks kind of a bit early on in the recovery as well, and I think you had a couple of surgeries, didn't you?
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_02: Can you share a little bit more about what that was like back then and what what sort of happened?
• 1:03
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, just I just um obviously got injured and around February 25, um, and then ended up in the in the end, long story short, with probably about four surgeries on my knees, so just recurring problems.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_01: Um could never get it sorted, and yeah, it was a it's it's hard to describe even um like the journey it's been um because for a while it was the priority was nearly just to be able to play golf and to just be able to walk and and do daily stuff because there was a long time I wasn't able to do that, but um yeah, it was it was a tough journey, but to be fair, I'd have taken a little bit longer for how I've come into the team and and played so quickly.
• 1:46
  SPEAKER_01: So in that side of it, that been that bit's um been really quick, but yeah, to get to that bit was was obviously really long.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_02: Because what was it like then back then in terms of actually not being able to walk?
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_02: How long?
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_02: What was kind of the the worst case in terms of what you were like and what you were able to do and not do?
• 2:01
  SPEAKER_01: To be fair, it's a it's actually a blur for me.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_01: I got I don't have specific dates, I just I have a full probably in my head a long year of just being yeah, just just really struggling.
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_01: Um like golf and move and walk, and there's so many times even I even remember like just being at Ashengate watching games, being very careful, just walking around for a lot of even Gerhardt's time, like so yeah, it was just um yeah, just made it feel like it's it's made of glass really, just in day-to-day life.
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_01: Um but yeah, it got to got to the summer, to be fair, around July this summer, and I got over to Portugal with Joe, and to be fair, after that it just I started to pick up pace then, started to get involved with the lads training.
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_01: Um so yeah, it got better from there.
• 2:50
  SPEAKER_02: Because I know people talk an awful lot about like the mental side of recovery as an athlete, a sports person, you know, how you lose that routine, all the you know, the kind of daily coming into training, being around the team.
• 2:59
  SPEAKER_02: That must be the kind of even as much of a hard side as like the physical recovery that you went through.
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_02: What can you talk a little bit about what that was like?
• 3:05
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, um that that was the hardest um by by far.
• 3:10
  SPEAKER_01: I think with these long-term injuries, it's it's actually more the mental.
• 3:14
  SPEAKER_01: Um yeah, so difficult.
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_01: You like you feel outcast not because of anyone, just only just because of your situation.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_01: Um, like my teammates are so good to me.
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_01: The even the previous managers that we had were very good to me.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_01: Um like some I didn't play under, so um I was well looked after here, but that it was such a uh very tough test.
• 3:35
  SPEAKER_01: Like I've been through some tough times in my career, but there's there's nothing on that.
• 3:40
  SPEAKER_01: Um but ultimately you have no option but to to keep going, and it doesn't matter what you feel like, you you have a list of things to do every day and you take them off and you get yourself get get on with it.
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_01: Um it's kind of the way I'm brought up is to get on with things, not to complain too much.
• 3:59
  SPEAKER_01: So in that instance I think I've done quite well.
• 4:01
  SPEAKER_01: Like I just went in every day and done what I had to do.
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_02: Do you physically feel different now that you're back?
• 4:06
  SPEAKER_02: So you say that in June July it sounds like something just clicked with your recovery and you kind of could tell that you were back.
• 4:10
  SPEAKER_02: But do you physically feel different than you were before the injury?
• 4:13
  SPEAKER_01: Uh no, I I wouldn't say so.
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_01: I don't think I'm as sharp as before, but I think that'll come in the next month or two.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but I'm yeah, I'm just couldn't be happier where I'm sitting at the minute from where I was.
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_01: Like I know we haven't had the best results like recently, but being selfish.
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_01: Um just so happy to be playing and and not only playing but feeling like I'm bringing something to the team rather than just being in the team for the sake of it.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_01: Um so yeah, very happy.
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_02: You've had a couple of chances as well, come close to kind of getting a goal as well for the club in the past couple of games.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, in terms of the scoring side of it, what do you think is that kind of difference to get the team kind of back scoring goals?
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, uh set pieces, as you can see across the league, are big opportunities, and we're I haven't seen the stats, but I assume we're one of the better ones from early on.
• 4:58
  SPEAKER_01: Rio obviously delivered a few early on, so um, we know we got the capability to do that.
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so from my point of view, set piece is my low most likely way to score.
• 5:07
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but then yeah, there's a responsibility on the defenders to help the midfielders who can provide better service to our front lad.
• 5:14
  SPEAKER_01: So we are all a team.
• 5:15
  SPEAKER_01: Um obviously got a clean sheet last weekend, that was a team effort, so it's the same going the other way.
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_02: And what are you thinking about Bolton and how you kind of approach it?
• 5:23
  SPEAKER_02: What your what are your thoughts on how that might game might go this weekend?
• 5:25
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I actually feel really confident about it.
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_01: Um going up there in a nice stadium.
• 5:31
  SPEAKER_01: Um they had obviously a tough defeat uh recently, so yeah, it's important we go up there and and we um be competitive like last week, bring the competitiveness in there and hopefully we can get it on the right end of it.
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_02: Thanks very much.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_00: So just to go back to the injury, can you kind of remember how it felt at the time?
• 5:51
  SPEAKER_00: Could you tell immediately that it was it was a bad one?
• 5:54
  SPEAKER_01: Um yeah.
• 5:58
  SPEAKER_01: I I remember in the first half feeling someone landed on me in the first half, and I remember thinking quite unstable, went out in the second half, and yeah, just the minute I jumped that was there was something strange.
• 6:10
  SPEAKER_01: I thought I thought my I thought my studs hit my shin guard, that kind of sound, like a proper like metal, clunky bang.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_01: And um I was just in denial probably.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_01: Like I I remember Ireland were playing Scotland that day in the rugby.
• 6:22
  SPEAKER_01: Literally jumped in my car after the game and drove straight home and watched it, and it was just a weird way to act, like so strange.
• 6:29
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so I I probably knew, but I was refusing in my head, and you never think it'll be you, like you you don't think you see these nasty injuries and you think that won't be me, but it was yeah.
• 6:39
  SPEAKER_00: It's really interesting.
• 6:40
  SPEAKER_00: I remember interviewing Liam after that game and him kind of saying it's gotta be something bad to force Luke McNally off the field, but you kind of almost didn't feel that way, or you just didn't want to think it could be that, do you think?
• 6:50
  SPEAKER_01: What do you mean?
• 6:50
  SPEAKER_00: So like Liam just almost said immediately to us that he knew it was a bad one.
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_00: Could you did you feel that, or were you trying to almost not think about it at all?
• 6:58
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know, like yeah, I never had an injury like that.
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_01: Um I I don't know.
• 7:05
  SPEAKER_01: I the way I acted was strange.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_01: I just jumped in my car, I I knew swelling was coming.
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and I probably could tell by reactions of of staff, maybe was probably the key.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_01: I was kind of looking intently seeing how they're reacting, and then a couple of a few giveaways with their reactions.
• 7:21
  SPEAKER_01: So um I was obviously really worried, but then when when Rob got injured as well, like not that long ago, and I felt sick of my stomach, but luckily he's like trained with us today, so he's all good, yeah.
• 7:33
  SPEAKER_00: Just didn't treat what the rest of that season was like I remember bump bumping into after the Preston game when the club got in the playoffs.
• 7:39
  SPEAKER_00: And what was that experience like to have to watch that from the stands?
• 7:43
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's tough.
• 7:44
  SPEAKER_01: Like um, like I was saying, my my knee was made of glass.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_01: I watched it up in the in the gantry just knowing that if there's a malay on the pitch, like I'm getting crushed.
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_01: So um, yeah, it was uh it's it's tough when you're injured because when you lose you you feel rotten for your teammates, like and then when you win, it's not as nice as you'd think either.
• 8:04
  SPEAKER_01: Like it's there's a part of you that's that's not feeling good either.
• 8:07
  SPEAKER_01: So it's it was win-loser draw, obviously, like a feeling of getting home and just yeah, feeling quite flat, whether we won, draw, or lost.
• 8:16
  SPEAKER_01: There was always a feeling of flatness, so um, but I was so buzzing for the lads, obviously.
• 8:22
  SPEAKER_01: Like, I mean, to get into the playoffs was such a brilliant occasion.
• 8:25
  SPEAKER_01: I remember the lads walking out that day against Sheffield United, like it's like there's no better buzz for any footballer than that.
• 8:31
  SPEAKER_01: And yeah, it was special.
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_00: It must be that bit of hunger gives you that bit of hunger that I want to be there the next time that happens as well.
• 8:37
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, 100%.
• 8:38
  SPEAKER_01: Like I did it, I got to the playoffs with Cov, got to the final, and that was the most special thing ever.
• 8:43
  SPEAKER_01: So I kind of knew when I was injured what how special was ahead of the lads that day, uh, and and them a few weeks obviously didn't work out for us.
• 8:52
  SPEAKER_01: Um so it would be amazing if we could do that this year, yeah.
• 8:56
  SPEAKER_00: You mentioned Gale Hard and Roy there.
• 8:58
  SPEAKER_00: What what was your relationship kind of like with them?
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_00: It must be a really unusual situation when there's a new manager come in, you're not able to make your mark under them.
• 9:05
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, to be honest with me, the position I was in the and the turnover managers in football.
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_01: I in the back of my head knew I might and blame for them, just the scenario that I was in, but they were really good with me, both of them, Roy and uh Gerhart, like really accommodating.
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_01: Um like even Roy just I was walking out to like a rehab session when he was talking with the Ireland national team, like knew my name, like like really gentle a man.
• 9:32
  SPEAKER_01: So, and that stuff goes a long way when you're injured.
• 9:34
  SPEAKER_01: Like the managers how they treat you, but luckily uh like since I've been here, they've all been brilliant with me.
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_00: Can you talk to me a little bit about Joe?
• 9:41
  SPEAKER_00: Because he's mentioned a few times how buzzing he was to see you play for the under-21s and the role he's kind of played with you as well.
• 9:46
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, like so many rehab sessions with him.
• 9:50
  SPEAKER_01: It's amazing just both of us playing the weekend, like both out on the same pitch.
• 9:53
  SPEAKER_01: It's it's funny because he obviously didn't have as serious an injury as me, but if in a way his was frustrating, like he he kept picking up injury after injury in random places, and but yeah, he was he's very good to lean on mentally because he will remind you how good you are and remind you how good he is as well.
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_01: So he reminds you how to how to you should think, and he says he's getting back at the team and he goes and does it.
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_01: So that rubbed off of me a little bit, and yeah, he's a good person to to be around mentally so strong.
• 10:25
  SPEAKER_01: Um so yeah, he's been very good today.
• 10:27
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I think he's when he was sat here a few weeks ago he said how you would have those conversations about getting back together and sharing that pitch.
• 10:33
  SPEAKER_00: That must have been special on Saturday.
• 10:35
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it was it was unreal.
• 10:37
  SPEAKER_01: Um we weren't thinking about that too much.
• 10:39
  SPEAKER_01: It was obviously yeah, it was it was so special though.
• 10:42
  SPEAKER_01: Um yeah, out in Portugal training, and then both of us are are back in the team playing and and doing all right, so we're both individually quite happy, but it's it's up to us now not to just be happy to be there.
• 10:54
  SPEAKER_01: It's important that we we start getting wins on the board and and moving this club upwards.
• 10:58
  SPEAKER_00: Can you talk to me a little bit about Michael and what he's been like to work with so far?
• 11:02
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, really good.
• 11:03
  SPEAKER_01: Um I think we're starting to gel now.
• 11:06
  SPEAKER_01: Um and you know, hopefully results will show that, you know, soon.
• 11:10
  SPEAKER_01: It's so early in the season where a couple of wins and all of a sudden we're second player a few weeks ago and then a few losses or draws, and we're not so but yeah, for me personally, just the vote of confidence I got off him to to put me straight in against Charlton, like pretty much it was the first opportunity to put me in.
• 11:24
  SPEAKER_01: So um yeah, that vote of confidence has helped me a lot.
• 11:28
  SPEAKER_00: I know it was only a friendly, but that goal against Crystal Palace must have felt like the best goal in the world at that moment, yeah.
• 11:33
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it was.
• 11:34
  SPEAKER_01: It was just yeah, I I just knew it was only gonna be me.
• 11:38
  SPEAKER_01: Like it was just yeah, just kind of when the ball was coming in, it was just like like fake nearly.
• 11:43
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 11:44
  SPEAKER_00: Has your perspective kind of changed at all?
• 11:46
  SPEAKER_00: I imagine that long out of the game, it must you must look at things a a diff in a bit of a different way.
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_01: I do definitely.
• 11:51
  SPEAKER_01: I just yeah, like the days, um watching the lads is how big how big it is.
• 11:58
  SPEAKER_01: Like when you're out there you're you're an auto autopilot, you're in flow state, and you don't really stop and look around and look at look at the stand and like you start as a kid and then to be in a stadium with 20 odd thousand people, like it's it's a special achievement to be able to do that, which I forgot about till I was got injured really.
• 12:20
  SPEAKER_01: Um and even like your family going to games like and your friends, it's very special to for them all to turn up to watch you and it at a big stage.
• 12:29
  SPEAKER_01: It's it's you know, not to be joked, that it's it's a really good achievement that not a lot of players will probably realise until something tragic happens to you.
• 12:37
  SPEAKER_01: Um so I'm in a good position where I'm just very grateful to be playing.
• 12:42
  SPEAKER_00: You must feel excited as well, because you've it feels like you've almost come back into a completely different Bristol City team and one that's got real aspirations of going on to achieve special things.
• 12:50
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, definitely.
• 12:51
  SPEAKER_01: We've we've signed really well.
• 12:52
  SPEAKER_01: Um obviously a really strong league where a lot of teams have done the same, but we've made some good sign-ins with a lot of lot of potential.
• 12:58
  SPEAKER_01: Um, like Lissaff and Gibson Yab beside me, and these lads when they get 10 games, they'll be better, when they get 20, when they get 30, like they they're just gonna keep getting better.
• 13:09
  SPEAKER_01: Two boys up front, I think they're hard enough to do it in training.
• 13:12
  SPEAKER_01: Like I've played with some good strikers and they'll be fine in this league.
• 13:15
  SPEAKER_01: So yeah, we've we've good high hopes and uh hopefully do okay.
• 13:19
  SPEAKER_00: You must feel positive as well with you know that that back line around you.
• 13:22
  SPEAKER_00: I guess if you've got a bit of a different role to play than maybe you've had before in your Bristol City career, one of the more experienced defenders, maybe?
• 13:28
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think so.
• 13:29
  SPEAKER_01: Um and I think watching a lot of football has probably made me a little bit more in touch with the game and positioning and being there at the right times and stuff, so I like to lean on that a little bit more than probably I would have done before.
• 13:41
  SPEAKER_01: But yeah, there's a responsibility there from playing beside George Tanner, who's a right back playing right to half or Lisa playing Sonny Young, I guess he's twenty one, twenty two, isn't he?
• 13:49
  SPEAKER_01: So yeah, there's a there's a responsibility with you know, your experience you have to to help them out, yeah.
• 13:55
  SPEAKER_00: I imagine as fun as the last few weeks have been that first win's gonna taste even sweeter as well, isn't it?
• 14:00
  SPEAKER_01: I know, that's what I was thinking, it's the only thing I haven't ticked off, so hopefully, um yeah, hopefully yeah, ticked off on Saturday.