A product of the Glentoran-Insaka Football Academy and a midfield scoring machine in the mould of Yaya Touré, Timmy Raheem hopes to follow in the footsteps of Ebenezer Afriyie Acquah, another graduate from Sunyani in Ghana who now plays in the Bundesliga with Hoffenheim. Metro Éireann recently caught up with the St Patrick’s Athletic U19 player to learn more about what makes him tick...
You were born in Lagos, Nigeria. Did you play club soccer there?
No, just street football on waste ground.
When did you start playing organised games?
I came to Dublin seven years ago, when I was 10, and signed for Mountview FC in Blanchardstown. I also played Gaelic football with my school, St Philip’s National School, and then played soccer and Gaelic with Blakestown.
How did you end up joining the Insaka Academy?
Myself and my friends used to have a kickabout on the green after school and we were spotted by James Igwilo who was a Nigerian International soccer player over in Dublin to establish an academy. He invited a few of us to go for trials, and over 40 of us turned up, ranging in ages from 13 to 16.
Another Nigerian coach, Zuby Ufoh, who had played in Poland came on board so we knew we were getting quality coaching based on their experiences playing at the top level of the game.
In the process of building the academy some of the younger players were farmed out to other clubs. One of them was my friend Toyosi Shitta-bey, who went to Shelbourne and was afterwards killed in a racist attack in 2010.
The management held onto me as I was converted to midfield and they were short of numbers in that position as everyone wanted to be a striker. Our academy came together in a squat ground in Ongar every Saturday to develop our skills in ‘African flavoured football’. The workshops were open to all and free with the kits provided by Glentoran FC and the UEFA Respect programme. We also had a doctor, a strength and conditioning coach and a physio working with us for free.
How did the academy progress?
A playing squad was assembled out of the academy and was entered into the North Dublin Schoolboy League (NDSL) at U17 with a two-year strategy that would go on to deliver the league and cup double at U18 premier level. It was the policy of the management to encourage players to join their local clubs once they had developed their capacity and skills base on reaching 18 years of age.
Was this policy successful?
Yes, as black African players and players of other ethnicities (we had Polish, Romanians, Serbians and a Lithuanian keeper) we were more confident, had higher self-esteem with bundles of soccer skills. Our managers taught us how to deal with racist abuse that we had experienced outside of our own group.
What about your own progress as a player?
I gained lots of experience playing with and against older players. I was growing in strength and my soccer intelligence was sharpened.
Referees made me ‘man of the match’ on 19 occasions and I received a great honour from the NDSL when they made me ‘player of the tournament’.
Have you thought about representing Nigeria internationally?
I am hoping to establish my club game first and foremost. I was finally made an Irish citizen recently so that will allow me travel without the endless trouble with visas, etc.
I am enjoying my game with St Pat’s in Inchicore. They have a history of nurturing black players since the time of Paul McGrath.
We have half a dozen on our current team and we see ourselves as very much part of the future of soccer here.
