At the age of 31, Luke O’Nien fulfilled his dream of making his starting debut in the Premier League. Afterwards, he gave an insight into his emotional world and revealed, among other things, that even professionals have doubts and get nervous.
The home section at Elland Road seems deserted, while the traveling Sunderland fans in the southwest of the stadium are still celebrating their away win (1-0) in a tightly packed crowd. When “their” last player steps up alone in front of the stands once again, the emotions are palpable: Luke O’Nien, with the Man of the Match award in his left hand, encourages the fans to do the “La Ola” and, at the end, taps his left chest several times, which, as is well known, is adorned with the club’s crest.
The fact that the 31-year-old has truly lost his heart to the Black Cats is evident from his nickname: both the fans and the media department call him Mr. Sunderland. O’Nien joined the then second division relegated team in League One in 2018. He then played a key role in the traditional club’s return to the English top flight, playing 45 second division games in the promotion season, among other things.
O’Nien once played at amateur level
However, he has had little playing time in the Premier League, so he had to wait until last Tuesday to make his starting debut. A long text he posted on social media made it clear how much this meant to him. He addressed “all young kids” who read it directly: “If you’re a young player who has doubts, low self-confidence or doesn’t believe in yourself: you’re not alone. Every player feels it,” O’Nien explained.
He himself had doubted himself in every league he played in—he was active in the Ryman Premier League (7th division), Conference South (6th division), League Two (4th division), League One (3rd division), Championship (2nd division), and Premier League. “Even just before my first Premier League start last night,” he revealed.
As a child, he would never have attributed such feelings to a Premier League player. “Growing up, I thought Premier League players were superhuman. Like they never had doubts. Like they were never nervous. The truth is, the opposite is often the case. No one on social media will tell you that sometimes you go out on the pitch without confidence. That’s normal. That’s okay!” explained the defender. He also gave young players a tip on how to turn a doubter into a confident player. You have to be brave and keep working on yourself. “If you show courage often enough, you build self-confidence,” said O’Nien, who also appealed for patience: “Everything worth building takes time. But that’s exactly what makes it so rewarding!” His celebration on Tuesday impressively demonstrated just how rewarding it is.
