McEneff’s dream comes true

Former Institute man Aaron McEneff fulfilled a boyhood dream on Friday night, when he helped guide Northern Ireland to the Elite Milk Cup success, at the Ballymena Showgrounds.
Northern Ireland's Aaron McEneff races away from Canada's Louis Beland-Goyette, during Friday night's Milk Cup Elite Section final. Picture by Jonathan Porter/Presseye.comNorthern Ireland's Aaron McEneff races away from Canada's Louis Beland-Goyette, during Friday night's Milk Cup Elite Section final. Picture by Jonathan Porter/Presseye.com
Northern Ireland's Aaron McEneff races away from Canada's Louis Beland-Goyette, during Friday night's Milk Cup Elite Section final. Picture by Jonathan Porter/Presseye.com

The gifted midfielder fired home the all important winning goal from the penalty spot against Canada and he admitted it reminded him of slotting home the winning penalty for Paul Kee’s side in the Craig Memorial Cup Final a few years ago.

“To go one step further and win the Milk Cup is just an amazing feeling and to score the winning penalty was unbelievable,” he conceded.

“Scoring the penalty took me back to the time I scored the winning penalty for Stute in Boxing Day in 2011, yes scoring the winner in the Milk Cup was obviously another level.”

McEneff who also felt it was extra special to celebrate the success with his girlfriend Ellen Coyle and family in the crowd at the Showgrounds.

“To have your family and girlfriend in the stand was great. I ran over straight away towards where they were sitting so that I could celebrate just in front of them, it was an unbelievable feeling.”

The former Maiden City Soccer graduate, who was joined in the Northern Ireland squad by fellow Londonderry men Mikhail Kennedy and Sean Mullan, felt winning the Milk Cup just ended the season nicely for him.

“The hard work that I have put in over the past couple of year and especially this year I feel like it has paid off and is still paying off,” he added.

“To win the Milk Cup is something I have always dreamt off since I was 14 or 15 years old when I started to play in the competition at the start in County sides.

“You always wanted that feeling of having the milk thrown over you at the end, so to score the winning penalty and lift the cup was unbelievable, in fact to do it playing with Northern Ireland as well it was a great feeling.”

The ex-St Columb’s College lad, who signed a professional contract with Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur, is gearing up for a massive season with the Londoners.

It’s all change at White Hart Lane with Tim Sherwood being replaced by ex-Southampton boss Mauricio Pochettino and McEneff knows what he needs to do.

“Our first match in the Under 21 league is against West Ham United later this month and everything is focused on that at the minute,” he said.

“For me I just get back working with the boys again after having a week with the national team and my plan will be to keep the head down and hopefully push on this season.

“I have met the new manager in and around the training ground and he seems like a nice person, so I look forward to maybe training with him a few times, because I haven’t trained with them yet.

“Obviously Tim, Chris (Ramsey) and Les (Ferdinand) were all great coaches and it was great to have worked with them.

“ I have learned a lot from them, obviously they are gone and that’s football.

“This year I have to keep my head down put the work in for myself and hopefully I will get my rewards.”

McEneff, who is still loving life in London, says now that his hard work has paid off in terms of securing his first professional contract he maintains his aim this season is to try and get another new deal, even if it means he has to leave Spurs.

“I think once you get one contract you just have to work hard and go after the next one,” he said.

“You have to sit down and think that getting the first contract is just the first step of hopefully many, so I’m just targeting the next contract, whether it be at Spurs or whether it be somewhere else.

“At the minute my focus is getting another contract at Spurs and hopefully staying there for as long as I can, because it’s a great club and I enjoy being there.”