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Joe’s eager to be back in the thick of things
Joe Allen recently attended the presentation evening for the combined forces of the Haverfordwest County Academy and the Pembrokeshire Schools, both at under 12 level, and the Swansea City player thrilled his young audience as he signed autographs and posed for pictures.
Joe was back home at his parents’ house in Narberth for a few days as he recuperated from an operation to his shoulder and we were able to chat to Joe about his involvement at the Liberty Stadium, and with Wales, before he went off to meet the youngsters.
Hi Joe. Thanks for talking to us. Did the operation go well?
At the moment everything seems fine after I had a torn cartilage in my shoulder treated. Ironically, I did it playing rugby in school and never had it treated but it caused me problems last season and so I decided it was time to have it fixed.
The surgeon has said I need 12 weeks post-operation but I am having physio and hope to be out of the sling within the next couple of weeks. I aim to keep my fitness up with some running, as soon as I can – and I’m told that although I will miss the start of the new season I might be able to take some part in pre-season training.
What are your thoughts on last season with the Swans?
It was a bit of a funny season because there were loads of high points but we missed out on the play-offs after a great run, and I had a few injuries that kept me out of action when I was raring to go. I was thrilled to be in the line-up for the first match against Leicester but then I pulled a hamstring muscle and it put me out of action. Then I damaged knee ligaments after coming back well and that put me on the side-lines again until I returned in time to enjoy the best run of the season that we had.
The highlights were playing in big matches like against Newcastle, who had the likes of Kevin Nolan and Alan Smith in their team and we drew 1-1 in front of a very big crowd. It was the same when we played against Cardiff at home and won 3-2. The build up during the week was immense and the atmosphere was something special, even for a local derby. But after an undefeated run of 12 matches we went off the boil and just missed out on a chance to get into the Premier League, which was a real down side of a long season.
You must have been thrilled to win your senior cap for Wales – what can you tell us about it?
I had played ten times for Wales under 17s, four times at under 19 level and ten times for the under 21s (and I scored last season when we beat Bosnia!) – but nothing compares to pulling on that senior Welsh jersey for the first time. John Toshack told me I was in the squad and I came on for the last ten minutes as we beat Estonia away by 1-0 in the previous season and then I was called in again for the home match against Scotland this season.
We played on the new sports stadium in Cardiff and we won 3-0 so it was brilliant to be involved in front of a noisy crowd which gave us great support – and I will never forget running out onto the pitch with the rest of the players. John Toshack has been a good manager for me because he likes to keep players in touch – and has made me feel very much part of the set-up.
How do other players respond to you since you are still only 20?
At Swansea I have been involved since I was nine and made my debut for the first team at 16, when I played against Port Talbot in the FAW Premier Cup, so I have been around for much longer than many of the other players in the club.
I am lucky to play in midfield, where both managers, Roberto Martinez and Paulo Souza, have lots of experience so they have been able to give me great advice. Both have been superb and so have the likes of Liam Britton and Darren Pratley. There are some real characters involved and we are lucky to play on a great surface prepared by Dan Duffy, our Australian groundsman who is also a Pembrokeshire man now!
What other highlights have there been for you?
Winning my first under 21 cap against Sweden in 2007 was also great because I scored the winner in our 4-3 victory and I will never forget making my debut for Swansea in the last game of the 2006/7 season, although we lost 6-3!
At the start of the next season I played against Walsall in the Carling Cup and I was picked as man of the match – as I was in the next round against Reading, where we lost in extra time. Then I played against Carlisle in the league and we won 2-1, and at the end of the season I picked up a medal when we won the first division championship.
In April last year I scored against Cardiff in a 2-2 draw and that certainly ranks as another memorable moment!
Have there been any down sides to your career so far?
They mainly revolve around the injuries I have mentioned. They include when I went to Wrexham on line to recuperate from a previous injury and after scoring on my debut there I damaged my ankle ligaments and had to return to Swansea. But luckily it all worked out and I am raring to go for the next season!
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