When Ryan Rainey went to meet with Woverhampton Wanderers chiefs at the Sir Jack Hayward Training Ground late last summer, he knew what was coming.
Rainey had been at Wolves since the summer of 2011, when he was plucked from Bonagee United.
While injury had stunted his progress, Wolves gave the player a new two-year contract in May 2016 in the hope they’d finally see his potential realises.
However, another injury hit and the writing was on the wall.
“That took a big toll on me,” says Rainey, now back in Bonagee’s colours and set to line out for the Dry Arch Park club on Sunday in the FAI Intermediate Cup against Midleton United (kick-off 1pm).
“I expected it. I missed the whole of the season before and they said they’d give me one more year. When I got injured again, I knew the time was up.
“I pulled thigh three times and had to get surgery. I missed nine months with that injury. That was a big set back. The season was only ending when I came back and in pre-season I got injured again.
“I came back for pre-season and had a chat when I was injured. They just said the time was up:’You’ve had a lot of injuries and there’s not much more we can do for you’.”
Rainey went on loan to Chester City – ‘to get my name back out there for people to see me’ – and while there were offers from the National League, none appealed.”
Ryan Rainey. Picture by Joe Boland, North West News Pix
When Rainey was moving to Wolves, another Donegal youngster – Johnny Dunleavy – was packing his bags and coming the other way.
Hit, too, by injury, Dunleavy went on to become Cork City’s captain, but has since left the Leesiders. Brian McGrory from Drimarone was at Wolves for a spell and has since quit the game due to mounting injuries.
“It’s tough mentally,” Rainey says.
“When you’re over there, you think you’re at the top, even though you’re not, just because you’re at a big-name club. It takes a toll.
“I didn’t want to play football when I came back at all. I felt like that.
“England is a whole different level. You have to be ready mentally and physically. It’s a whole different ball game and a whole different level. They go in to tactics way more than they do here in Ireland.
‘It takes a while to get used to and players who go from here don’t expect it to be at the level it is actually at. Because they don’t expect it, they aren’t ready for it.”
Rainey’s time at Molineaux wasn’t all bad.
He captained Wolves’ Under-23s and the highlight remains a friendly appearance against a Liverpool side that included Philippe Coutinho, Roberto Firminho and Kolo Toure.
Ryan Rainey in action against Liverpool
“That was probably the big highlight because of the standard of the opposition,” Rainey sais.
“It was an experience. It didn’t go well at times. I was injured a lot, but I learned a lot. I was unfortunate how things ended up.
“I was lucky to be there for that long. They kept faith in me.”
Mick McCarthy – now the front-runner to return to the Republic of Ireland manager’s job – first took Rainey to Wolves and the 22-year-old says: “He was a good influence on me. He was one of the main reasons I signed there.”
Kenny Jackett, who is now managing Ronan Curtis at Portsmouth, was another to have a positive impact on Rainey.
At the end of May, he left Wolverhampton Wanderers for the final time and football was the last thing he wanted.
Bonagee were keen to offer a stepping stone, although it took some time for Rainey to bite.
“It’s been good being back with Bonagee,” he says now.
“It’s a lot different from before but it’s good to be home. It’s the club I’ve always played with and it’s good to wear the jersey again.
“Jason (Gibson) was trying to get hold of me, Sean Hume was texting away at me. It was a case of going back to the start again for me. You have to accept that.
“There is a lot of very good players in the League of Ireland and a lot of scouts are looking at the League of Ireland now.”
Ultimately, the League of Ireland is Rainey’s ambition.
He has already had tentative talks with Finn Harps manager Ollie Horgan. Kenny Shiels, who has since left, was keen at Derry City. Others are keeping tabs.
He says: “I’m at Bonagee to get my fitness up and get my feet back on the ground.
“Hopefully a League of Ireland team will come in. I want to get back to senior football again.”
First, though, an Intermediate Cup mission with Bonagee, as they welcome MSL champions Midleton to Dry Arch Park.
Under Gibson’s watch, Bonagee have made significant inroads this term so far.
Bonagee United
Rainey says: “We have a good squad there. They’ve added a few good players this year and the squad is competitive. It’s getting better.
“It’s a good standard and a good platform to go to the League of Ireland. It’s a better standard than I thought.
“Jason did tell me it would be good and it is good to get back playing again. Mickey Funston and Tommy know what it takes to go to the League of Ireland and are pushing us on.”
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