WATCH: "I have so many regrets" - Feeney opens up on playing career
Ex Linfield and Rangers star guests on our BetMcLean Football show
Last updated 12th Apr 2018
Former Irish League ‘Golden Boy’ Lee Feeney has opened up about his time as a player – and reflected on a number of regrets.
He was a rising star for Linfield in the late 90s before a high-profile move to Scottish giants, Rangers.
But it did not go completely to play and a disillusioned Feeney found himself back in Northern Ireland.
Speaking as a guest on our latest BetMcLean Football show, now available to view in full on Cool FM’s Facebook page (see link below), Feeney said he hoped he could help other young players in a similar position.
"Maybe 10 years ago if you had asked if I had any regrets, I'd have been stubborn, I'd have said, 'no, everything's meant to be.' I have so many regrets. But I'm not going to dwell on them,” he said.
“I'll try to learn from them. If I see someone going down the same path that I did, I think I can use my experience to try to help them."
And he added that his “mental strength” was lacking after he picked up an injury while at Rangers.
"The younger days at Ards and Linfield was when I was happy and I was enjoying my football. Then I went over to Rangers,” he said.
“At the start I thought I was ready for it, I was giving it a go, and I thought I was doing really, really well. But then I picked up a silly injury. My mentality and my mental strength and my character didn't match my talent. That's where I think my downfall was.
"I didn't go there to play for the reserves, but I started to accept that. I should have been trying to get into that first team and learn from some of the experienced players. But I was happy where I was in the reserves. That shouldn't have been the way."
Feeney also talks enthusiastically about his current job as manager of Intermediate side, Banbridge.
"I love it. I'm obsessed and it's taken over everything around the house,” he said.
“I come home and I can't talk to the family if we're beaten. If we win, I'm thinking about the next match. It's become an obsession."