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Michael Doyle achieved an incredible career milestone this month when he hit the 800 game mark - almost half of those in a Sky Blues shirt.

He admits it doesnt seem five minutes since he was on trial at Coventry City as a fresh-faced 21-year-old, unable to break through at Scottish giants Celtic in 2003.

Recommended by then Sky Blues assistant Eric Black, whod coached at Celtic Park, he caught the eye of then manager Gary McAllister in a couple of reserve team games at Highfield Road before being handed a contract and starting a long and affectionate relationship with the club.

He enjoyed eight years first time round and then made a triumphant return in 2017 to lead the club hed grown to love to promotion out of League Two.

I know when I got to 700 career games it was when I was at Coventry and the year we got promoted and I wasnt really aware of it, said Doyle , speaking to CoventryLive.

The 38-year-old is still going strong at Notts County where hes played over 30 games this term and showing no signs of slowing down with the club sixth in the National League and pushing for a return to League Two.

I always knew I was in high numbers but it wasnt until I hit 700 and a few of the lads were joking about it. So to be a year and a half or whatever it is down the line to get to 800, Im delighted but its not something that I really look at for myself.

I think its more other people picking up on it.

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Its a big achievement and its had a bit of publicity on the back of that, and Im really pleased but just enjoying playing.

Thats the most important thing, that I still enjoy playing and its not a struggle. My body isnt breaking down on me and thats the enjoyable part about it.

Theres clearly an element of natural fitness but whats the secret of longevity in football from a player who has managed to avoid serious injury for 20-odd years?

I have always looked after myself and enjoyed doing that in the summers and things like that, he said.

I have always trained hard when other people werent and I have always enjoyed keeping myself fit.

I enjoy getting out for a run in the close season. I wouldnt say its been easy for me but thats what I enjoy doing when I am away from the football. So that obviously helps, the fact that I enjoy doing it.

Theres one other secret that Doyle was adhering to meticulously years before it became the norm.

From when I first signed for Coventry some 18 years ago I was always big on hydrating, he said.

I was always drinking three or four litres of water a day and it obviously helps. I will be really hydrated most days and I have been for most of my career.

Its part of the job. You need to hydrate before and after training, and it helps your body recover, so its something I have always been massive on over the last 20 years.

Its rare youll see me without a bottle of water but thats the same for most players now. But I was doing that 18 years ago, always walking around with my big bottle of water.

If you want to be a footballer or any sort of sports person you have to look after yourself, make sure your diet is right and what youre eating and drinking is a given, you know. Because if you dont make the sacrifices you wont be able to do it at any level.

In his second season at Meadow Lane, the Irishman is showing no signs of hanging up his boots any time soon.

So is he good to go for another season?

Yeah, of course I am, he said confidently.

I have only missed ten games through suspension this season so thats down to myself. I havent missed any training and Im enjoying it.

I dont think Ill be retiring through my body letting me down. Its a case of so far so good and unless I am unfortunate to pick up a heavy injury which means I cant play and its long term then I will probably think, right, next stage of my life.

But at the minute I am just enjoying every minute.

I do consider myself very fortunate to still be playing regularly because I have a lot of friends whose bodies have let them down a long time ago and had to retire. So I feel very lucky.

Asked if his fondest memories of his Sky Blues career, which spanned 371 appearances and 26 goals, are getting promoted at Wembley in 2018, he said: Without doubt.

Listen, I probably took the first eight or nine years, not for granted, but we were a mid-table Championship club often fighting relegation and never had a run of the play-offs or anything like that.

The Championship is a big division and full of fantastic teams with big followings, and Coventry were as well, so it was an amazing time.

But going back is something I never really expected when I left Coventry but when I did, with the situation they were in, it was an amazing time to top it off by getting a promotion.

And that kind of cemented the bond I have with the club because I went back and achieved something, so that was nice and made the bond a lot stronger.

When he left for a second time, in January 2019, Mark Robins left the door open for him to return to the club in the future in a coaching capacity.

But thats certainly not on the agenda at this moment in time for the evergreen midfielder.

Listen, of course when I stop playing I certainly want to stay in the game, he said.

Thats what I want to do, be a coach or whatever and work in football.

Theres no doubt thats what I am going to do when I finish playing but right at the minute were trying to get ourselves promoted at Notts County.

We are in a good position and I am just fully focused on that to be honest with you.

Read more:
Cemented the bond - Legendary Coventry City skipper on amazing times, longevity and life after playing days - Coventry Telegraph

This entry was posted on March 16, 2020 at 1:44 pm and is filed under Longevity. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed. |