Birmingham City: Why returning to his first English club brings back bad memories for Keith Fahey

Oct 17 2009 by Andy Walker, Birmingham Mail

KEITH Fahey returns to his first English club this afternoon but admits that it’s a scene of bad memories.

As a teenager, the Irish midfielder was handed the chance to impress on these shores as a trainee with Arsenal.

During that brief spell in north London in the late 1990s, Fahey found himself under the tutelage of Ireland and Gunners favourite Liam Brady, a fellow Dubliner.

However, the early signs of the homesickness that at one point looked to have scuppered his chances of making it in English football were starting to develop.

With obvious talent, Villa took him from Arsenal in 2000 but the homesickness persisted and eventually Fahey returned to the comfort of his family and friends across the Irish Sea.

Over seven years on, the 26-year-old is back in England and enjoying life in the Premier League with Blues.

And as his club prepare to take on Arsenal today, although he could miss out due to an ankle problem, the sight of the Gunners’ red and white at the luxurious Emirates won’t fill him with much joy.

“I was at Arsenal for about a year-and-a-half. I went down when I was 15 and I remember not really wanting to go,” reflected Fahey.

“I didn’t enjoy my time in England, not just at Arsenal, when I was younger so they are not great memories.

“It was under Liam Brady. It was homesickness that made it hard for me. I just wanted to be home with my mates. It’s over ten years ago now, so it does feel like a very long time ago.”