Cork native Adam O'Reilly excited for Turner's Cross return with Derry City

​Almost a decade has passed since and the 21 year-old midfielder has represented Preston in a pre-season friendly against Cork at the venue in the intervening years alongside Cork natives Sean Maguire and Alan Browne and also Shamrock Rovers forward Graham Burke.

Interestingly, current Derry goalkeeper Tadgh Ryan also played in that match for Cork in July 2019.

Remarkably he returns home with the Candy Stripes for his first League of Ireland clash on Leeside on Friday night and he can't wait for it!

There will be no room for sentiment when the whistle goes, however, as Derry are seeking to end a three match winless run and get their league campaign back on track.

"I'm really excited," enthused the Corkman. "This will probably be my first proper game at Turner's Cross professionally. So I'm looking forward to it."

O'Reilly earned a move to Championship outfit Preston directly from Ringmahon Rangers as a 17 year-old schoolboy in November 2016 and while he enjoyed loan spells at Waterford and St Pat's, he never had the opportunity to play against Cork at Turner's Cross, situated less than five miles from his boyhood club across the city in Mahon.

"I played there once with my local team in a cup final, I think we played Greenwood, another local team and the other time when I was at Preston in pre-season I played there for about 20 minutes," he recalled.

"I'm just looking forward to getting down there because I know obviously the atmosphere will be very good in Turner's Cross so I'm really excited."

Cork were understood to be one of several Irish clubs interested in snapping O'Reilly up from Preston when it became clear he would be made available. And while he's delighted to see the Rebels back where they belong in the top flight, he's certain he made the right career choice when signing for Derry, following in the footsteps of fellow Corkmen Stephen O'Flynn, Liam Kearney, Greg O'Halloran and Eric Grimes.

"I think they deserve to be back in the Premier Division. There were a couple of years there where it didn't go to plan but it's good to have them back.

"They're a massive team in this league and they have a great following as well, very similar to Derry. I'm delighted they're back in the league and I'm looking forward to playing them now."

He missed out on Derry's first meeting with Cork this season when he sustained a hamstring injury in training a few days before the match at Brandywell last February. After a man of the match display in the President's Cup win over Shamrock Rovers and an equally impressive return to Richmond Park in the 1-1 draw with St Pat's, the injury couldn't have come at a worse time.

O'Reilly returned last Sunday against Dundalk and delivered a typically energetic and combative display in the middle of the park and he's delighted to be back on the pitch after a frustrating six weeks.

"Any person who plays football knows being injured is probably the worst thing that can happen to you. I was out for six weeks in total so it was a long spell. I'm just delighted to be back.

"To be honest I actually didn't realise I did it (his hamstring injury). I played the Pats game and got into training and kind of pulled up a small bit. I didn't think too much of it as you obviously play through niggles and that's what I thought it was.

"It turned out to be a hamstring injury so it was a bit unfortunate because I don't actually know how it happened. I'm just happy to be back."

The robust midfielder is desperate for the chance to show the different facets to his game and doesn't want to be pigeonholed as a 'midfielder destroyer'. Indeed he’s hoping to express himself and display his attacking qualities against Cork tonight.

"I still have a lot more to give from what I've shown at the moment," he claimed. "I think on the ball anyway. People kind of know me for winning the ball back and keeping things simple but I'd like to express myself on the ball as well in a way that people don't know me for. I'd like to put things right with that against Cork on Friday.

"There are goals in me, it's just trying to get them out of me is the problem," he smiled. "I would like to contribute a few goals this year. That’s one of the main things I was thinking about coming to Derry and with the quality of players in the team it will make things easier.

"It's obviously one of my strengths (interceptions and tackling) so I'd like to keep that involved in my game as best as I can. At the same time I do want to become this all-round midfielder, box-to-box and where I can do everything really."

Despite dropping 14 points from the opening 10 league matches, O'Reilly insists the mood in the camp has always been upbeat and he's confident with the players coming back from injury Derry will get back on the winning trail soon.

"I think even in recent games we have created a lot of chances, it's just we haven't finished them. That can happen in football no matter what level you're at. Once we start taking those chances, we're off.

"We have some great players in the team and once they start getting into their goalscoring run we'll be off to a flyer.

"Even through the tough times it has been a good vibe in the camp. That is with the players in the dressing room who keep it positive. There are dressing rooms where players will get a bit down if they lose a couple of games or draw but the boys in the dressing room keep it positive and the gaffer as well.

"We all know how good the team is and how good the players are and how well we can do this season. It's just about putting it into practice.

"I have full faith in the team but we do need to start things off when we go down to Cork and get things going again."