It has been a tough old season for Kevin Doyle but the Republic of Ireland striker has never been one to make a fuss and despite Wolverhampton Wanderers having yet to ensure top-flight status, that’s not about to change.
He’s an accommodating chap, whatever he’s asked to do, whether it is to humour a horde of dictaphone-wielding hacks, or lead the line up front against his Premier League rivals and maybe nick a crucial goal here or there at, say, Goodison Park or White Hart Lane.
Doyle’s selfless dedication to the Wolves cause this season has earned him plaudits from numerous opposing managers, while the pundits have been equally complimentary. It’s nice to hear, he admits, and though he’s far from cocky, one gets the feeling he knows it’s warranted.
He does, however, feel he could do without some of the gushing eulogies extolled by manager Mick McCarthy since he signed from Reading for a club record £6 million.
“It has been a bit embarrassing,” admitted Doyle yesterday, when lending a had with the launch the An Post FAI Summer Soccer Schools. “It's like he's trying to get rid of me.”
Of course, it’s easier accepting honest opinions when they are almost universally complimentary, but Doyle takes everything with good grace, like the suggestion he could score a few more, having notched seven in the league thus far. One in four, give or take.
He’s not too bothered by it. He’s on his own up front for the most part, his team is under pressure. It’s not like that “freak” 2007 season with Reading when he scored 13.
“It's been tough but I enjoy it” he says. “Its a different type of game. The way we play means you're in the game for 90 minutes.”
Doyle is also at ease with his status as the club’s most expensive ever player. For some, being bought for the big bucks brings an unwanted pressure. Not the Wexford native.
“Having to live up to being their record signing has brought more out of me. I feel fitter and stronger and more experienced. I wanted to show what I could do, and hopefully finish it off in the last four weeks of the season and enjoy being in the Premier League over the summer, on a beach or whatever, and not have that feeling I had a few years ago.”
That feeling was second-season syndrome with Reading in 2008, when he hit the net six times and Steve Coppell’s side returned to the Championship. It’s a stark reminder, despite three wins on the trot propelling Wolves to 14th, and the pressure remains.
“I wish it was (gone). No, not at all, it's still there. We're not safe. I was in a situation with Reading a few years ago where, with six games to go, we said we needed one more win. We got that win on the last day of the season but went down on goal difference. We realise we're not safe.”
The trend this time is very different. Reading were in freefall then and Wolves were unbeaten in four before an injury time Nicklas Bendtner winner for Arsenal last week.
“We (Reading) went from mid-table to slowly creeping down into the bottom three. But now from September, October onwards we've gone from the bottom three really and been out of it for the last few weeks which is nice.
“It's in our own hands and we probably do need two wins. Hopefully we get them as soon as possible, as you don’t want to be going down to the last day of the season.”
Even if they do stay up, however, Doyle won’t escape the heartache. For with the end of the season comes the World Cup and memories of a cruel November night in Paris.
It was out of his system until now, but he expects the hurt to return, though unlike most, he hopes France do well. “It would show what we could have done.”
Doyle has always been keen to show what he can do. It’s a philosophy that’s earned him praise in high places this season and some over the water say sharks are circling Molineux.
Though he says he’ll be happy if he’s at Wolves next season, there would be “something wrong” if he didn’t covet European football.
“Every player wants to get to that level or at least try but not everyone can. There are different circumstances in your career but that’s why I work hard and do pre-season, to come back next year and get to that level.”
The 2010 An Post FAI Summer Soccer Schools are five-day camps that will see up to 20,000 children from all over Ireland participating at over 270 venues. See www.summersoccerschools.ie for more details
