Author

James Crawley writes

Posted Friday, September 14th 2018 @CrawleyJames92

Well Red meets: Callum O'Dowda

Friday, September 14th 2018

Well Red has caught up with the winger, who returns fresh from international duty with Republic of Ireland.

Welcome back Callum, its been a busy couple of weeks for you!

"Yes it’s been a busy international break as I was away with the Republic of Ireland squad for 11 days. We played Wales in the UEFA Nations League qualifier which ended in a disappointing result (4-1 defeat). We should have done better on the night but we went to Poland where we performed much better (1-1 draw). It was frustrating to concede late on but overall, it was an okay trip."

You grabbed yourself a very nice assist in Poland too

"Yes I played near enough the full 90 minutes again and managed to get an assist there. It was a different game for me because I was playing in a more central role. It’s somewhere I have played before under Martin O’Neill and Roy Keane, so it’s a position I am becoming more used to and I could well be thrown into that position with Bristol City in the future."

What does it mean to you to have represented your country at such a young age?

"It’s a big moment when you put the shirt on. I see it as a great achievement every time, not just for me but for my family as well."

You missed out on the World Cup earlier in the year. Does that disappointment spur you on?

"Yes, it was disappointing. I didn’t speak much about it before because of my injury last season. I watched the World Cup at home but I think we all wished we were there. It was disappointing but we have big games coming up that could help us get into the next Euros, so that is our focus."

You’ve done so well to come back into the first team and on the international stage after such an horrific injury last year!

"I am over that now. Towards the back end of last season I was still finding my way. The ball felt very alien after such a long time out but being away with the national team did help me for when I returned to pre-season. Everything is good at the moment, I am fully fit, have played two sets of 90 minutes abroad so I am ready for the next game on Saturday."

Pick up Saturday's matchday programme and use it with the Bristol City app to watch exclusive AR content, including O'Dowda's interview.

Bristol City return to Sky Bet Championship action at home to Sheffield United this Saturday (September 15th, 3pm).

Tickets remain on general sale for the fixture, available from the link below.

CITY V Sheffield United - TICKETS

This is a preview from inside the next Well Red matchday programme - available to buy from around Ashton Gate for just £3.50

Be sure to pick up a copy of the matchday programme for the full interview, complete with Augmented Reality features when used with the new and free official Bristol City app, which can be downloaded through Google Play or the App Store.