28 ............... ............... Sunday, August 16, 2015 1SG RM HE’S MAN OF MANY CLUBS No fear for Killie kid Mark By ANDREW McINNES KILMARNOCK teenager Mark O’Hara admits after playing the best team in Scotland on Wednesday night he no onger fears anyone. O’Hara came on for njured centre-half Lee Ashcroft in the 42nd minute of Killie’s 2-2 draw with Celtic, and feels he’s done enough to nail down a regular starting slot. After helping keep the ikes of Leigh Griffiths, James Forrest and Stefan Johansen at bay at Rugby Park, he’s confident of facing up to anyone now. Delighted O’Hara said: “I was absolutely delighted with the draw against Celtic the other night. It was a massive confidence boost for the whole team. “I hadn’t played at centre-back for a year or two, so I was thrown in at the deep end. But it couldn’t have gone better. “I got a real boost from the fact that the only goal Celtic scored against us when I was on the pitch was the long-range effort from Nir Bitton. “It was a real positive for me, because it means I have a chance of getting more game time now.” It’s Cech mate for Jags star By RONNIE MacKAY TOMAS CERNY won’t ever give up hope of turning out for the Czech Republic. But he admitted even if Petr Cech had howler after howler, he couldn’t be budged as No1. Czech Cerny flirted with the national side when he was at Hamilton Accies but never got selected. And an impressive start at Partick Thistle means he’d still love one last crack at the national side. Close Cerny said: “It’s hard because Petr Cech has played for about 12 years and has been so consis- tent. Even if he has a tough spell, he’s so far ahead of everyone else and will still play. “It would be difficult to make it but you never know — never say never. “I have played for the Under-21s and would love to play for the full team.” Cerny was close to selection for the Kirin Cup in Japan in 2011 but missed out. He said: “There was one time when I got called up. “I think there were three goalkeepers named but only two travelled.” HE’S MAN OF MANY CLU k K M a t W l in A m w d a li J J P f a t MOVING THE GOALPOSTS GOALPOSTS Driver’s journey takes him to Holland ANDREW DRIVER hopes going Dutch can help him become a huge hit at De Grafschaap. Driver, 27, signed a one-year deal with the newly promoted Eredivisie outfit last month. And he revealed he is already learning Dutch in a bid to try and kickstart his career. Driver’s switch to Holland is the second time he has left Scotland to try something new. Technical Having been made redundant by Hearts in 2013 the winger spent two seasons with Houston Dynamo. Driver returned to Scotland last season and signed a short-term deal with Aberdeen, but only played once. Now he hopes De Grafschaap will be a fresh start. Driver said: “The one thing I’ve learned in football over the last few years is you never know where each road leads. “I went to America for two years after a long time at Hearts, then I went to Aberdeen and now I’m here and I’ve got a new opportunity. One positive I’ve had is I’ve kept my options open and I am happy to go to other countries, so we’ll see. “Because I’ve moved around and seen different places, I’m able to enjoy it as it is all fresh. “I can see in Scotland you can get a bit bogged down, playing the same teams all the time for years. “I’ve had an opportunity to move to other countries and play different teams and go to new stadiums and experience new things. “So that aspect has really kept me going, and the best part is I get to play football while I do it. “All these places you go to you have to learn something. “With the standard of the league in Holland it’s going to be tough, and I’ll need to keep trying to improve all aspects of my game — and this will be a good place to do that. I’m going to try to learn Dutch, it shouldn’t be too hard as long as I force myself to try. “The language is pretty tough and I’m struggling at the moment. But I’ll keep trying.” Driver was the subject of a failed £3million bid from Burnley when he was a kid at Tynecastle. But although he admits he hasn’t hit the same heights since he hopes Holland’s more technical style will be more up his street. Nightmare Driver added: “I haven’t looked at it and thought: ‘This league will suit me and it’s definitely where I want to be’. “But the Dutch league is renowned for having a high level of technique, and that’s something I like to think is part of my game. “No matter where you go football doesn’t change that much, I don’t think. You still have to put the same things into the game. “Hopefully the qualities I do have can shine through here and I’ll have a good season. “We have huge games coming up and it’s one of the biggest attractions for coming to De Grafschaap. “In Scotland you play all the teams four times a season, minimum, and I think the fact the league is 18 teams here, you have got more teams to play against which is exciting. “You have seven or eight teams that have massive stadiums and the real giants like Ajax, Feyenoord and PSV. Even lesser-known teams like FC Twente get more than 30,000 in. “That’s the situation you want to be in as a player, you want to be playing in big stadiums that are sold out every week.” However, Driver hasn’t closed the door on a possible return to Scotland further down the line, despite his nightmare at Aberdeen. He said: “I’ll always keep my options open. I’d be more than happy to come back to Scotland, you just never know where football is going to lead. “I’m concentrating on my time in Holland first. I’m excited and I’ve got a buzz for football right now. “The most important thing right now is playing week in and week out at De Grafschaap.” John Hunt EXCLUSIVE Twitter: @scotsunsport TRAVELLING DRIVER . . . winger is now with De Grafschaap after a spell in Houston and a brief stay at Aberdeen
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28 .............................. Sunday, August 16, 2015 1SG RM
HE’S MAN OF MANY CLUBSNo fearfor KilliekidMark
By ANDREW McINNESKILMARNOCK teenagerMark O’Hara admitsafter playing the bestteam in Scotland onWednesday night he nolonger fears anyone.
O’Hara came on forinjured centre-half LeeAshcroft in the 42ndminute of Killie’s 2-2 drawwith Celtic, and feels he’sdone enough to nail downa regular starting slot.
After helping keep thelikes of Leigh Griffiths,James Forrest and StefanJohansen at bay at RugbyPark, he’s confident offacing up to anyone now.
DelightedO’Hara said: “I was
absolutely delighted withthe draw against Celticthe other night. It was amassive confidence boostfor the whole team.
“I hadn’t played atcentre-back for a year ortwo, so I was thrown in atthe deep end. But itcouldn’t have gone better.
“I got a real boost fromthe fact that the only goalCeltic scored against uswhen I was on the pitchwas the long-range effortfrom Nir Bitton.
“It was a real positivefor me, because it meansI have a chance of gettingmore game time now.”
It’s Cechmate forJags star
By RONNIE MacKAY
TOMAS CERNY won’tever give up hope ofturning out for theCzech Republic.
But he admitted even ifPetr Cech had howlerafter howler, he couldn’tbe budged as No1.
Czech Cerny flirted withthe national side when hewas at Hamilton Acciesbut never got selected.
And an impressive startat Partick Thistle meanshe’d still love one lastcrack at the national side.
CloseCerny said: “It’s hard
because Petr Cech hasplayed for about 12 yearsand has been so consis-tent. Even if he has atough spell, he’s so farahead of everyone elseand will still play.
“It would be difficult tomake it but you neverknow — never say never.
“I have played for theUnder-21s and would loveto play for the full team.”
Cerny was close toselection for the Kirin Cupin Japan in 2011 butmissed out. He said:“There was one time whenI got called up.
“I think there werethree goalkeepers namedbut only two travelled.”
HE’S MAN OF MANY CLUBS
kidMarkKILMARNOCK teenagerMark O’Hara admitsafter playing the bestteam in Scotland onWednesday night he nolonger fears anyone.
injured centre-half LeeAshcroft in the 42ndminute of Killie’s 2-2 drawwith Celtic, and feels he’sdone enough to nail downa regular starting slot.
likes of Leigh Griffiths,James Forrest and StefanJohansen at bay at RugbyPark, he’s confident offacing up to anyone now.
absolutely delighted withthe draw against Celtic
MOVING THEGOALPOSTSGOALPOSTSDriver’s journey takes him to Holland
ANDREW DRIVER hopesgoing Dutch can helphim become a huge hit atDe Grafschaap.
Driver, 27, signed a one-yeardeal with the newly promotedEredivisie outfit last month.
And he revealed he is alreadylearning Dutch in a bid to try andkickstart his career.
Driver’s switch to Holland is thesecond time he has left Scotland totry something new.
TechnicalHaving been made redundant by
Hearts in 2013 the winger spent twoseasons with Houston Dynamo.
Driver returned to Scotland lastseason and signed a short-term dealwith Aberdeen, but only played once.
Now he hopes De Grafschaap willbe a fresh start.
Driver said: “The one thing I’velearned in football over the last fewyears is you never know where eachroad leads.
“I went to America for two yearsafter a long time at Hearts, then I
went to Aberdeen and now I’m hereand I’ve got a new opportunity. Onepositive I’ve had is I’ve kept myoptions open and I am happy to goto other countries, so we’ll see.
“Because I’ve moved around andseen different places, I’m able toenjoy it as it is all fresh.
“I can see in Scotland you can geta bit bogged down, playing the sameteams all the time for years.
“I’ve had an opportunity to moveto other countries and play differentteams and go to new stadiums andexperience new things.
“So that aspect has really kept megoing, and the best part is I get toplay football while I do it.
“All these places you go to youhave to learn something.
“With the standard of the league inHolland it’s going to be tough, andI’ll need to keep trying to improveall aspects of my game — and thiswill be a good place to do that. I’m
going to try to learn Dutch, itshouldn’t be too hard as long as Iforce myself to try.
“The language is pretty tough andI’m struggling at the moment. ButI’ll keep trying.”
Driver was the subject of a failed£3million bid from Burnley when hewas a kid at Tynecastle.
But although he admits he hasn’thit the same heights since he hopesHolland’s more technical style will bemore up his street.
NightmareDriver added: “I haven’t looked at
it and thought: ‘This league will suitme and it’s definitely where I wantto be’.
“But the Dutch league is renownedfor having a high level of technique,and that’s something I like to thinkis part of my game.
“No matter where you go footballdoesn’t change that much, I don’tthink. You still have to put the samethings into the game.
“Hopefully the qualities I do havecan shine through here and I’ll havea good season.
“We have huge games coming up
and it’s one of the biggest attractionsfor coming to De Grafschaap.
“In Scotland you play all the teamsfour times a season, minimum, and Ithink the fact the league is 18 teamshere, you have got more teams toplay against which is exciting.
“You have seven or eight teamsthat have massive stadiums and thereal giants like Ajax, Feyenoord andPSV. Even lesser-known teams likeFC Twente get more than 30,000 in.
“That’s the situation you want tobe in as a player, you want to beplaying in big stadiums that are soldout every week.”
However, Driver hasn’t closedthe door on a possible return toScotland further down the line,despite his nightmare at Aberdeen.
He said: “I’ll always keep myoptions open. I’d be more thanhappy to come back to Scotland, youjust never know where football isgoing to lead.
“I’m concentrating on my time inHolland first. I’m excited and I’vegot a buzz for football right now.
“The most important thing rightnow is playing week in and weekout at De Grafschaap.”
JohnHuntEXCLUSIVE
Twitter: @scotsunsport
TRAVELLING DRIVER. . . winger is now withDe Grafschaap after aspell in Houston and abrief stay at Aberdeen
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