Football

Aaron Connolly has spoken about his move to Italy says 'I'm in a better headspace'

IRELAND'S Aaron Connolly has claimed that he is now in a better headspace after moving to Italy on loan.

The Galway native has become surplus to requirements at his parent club Brighton & Hove Albion and has since gone on loan to Championship side Middlesbrough.

Brighton have now allowed the 22-year-old to spend a year in Italy for Venezia in Serie B

Speaking to Irish Football Fan TV Connolly has claimed that he feels like a new player after removing himself from his earlier environment

"I dont think I've been a better place physically or mentally in years." @AaronConnolly_9 lifts the lid on the last few years and behind the scenes it's not gone as well, he is determined to put that behind him and focus on this season with @VeneziaFC_EN https://t.co/FZMG6CXpEl pic.twitter.com/tDZkNAvl4q

— Irish Football Fan TV (@irishfantv) July 27, 2022

"Physically and mentally, I haven't felt this strong in a long time, " Connolly admitted,

"A lot of people know why I haven't kicked on and I know myself. That’s why this move to Italy was vital, just to get away from the circle I was in back in England, I needed a fresh start," explained the 22-year-old.

"My confidence was on the deck, when I missed chances and hadn’t been playing. I wasn’t in the right place to go on loan last year. I did it because I wanted to play football, but I wish this version of myself right now had showed up at Middlesbrough. It would have been a different story.

"Mentally, I wouldn’t have been able to move abroad last season. I wouldn’t have been excited. But this time, I couldn’t say yes quick enough."

Connolly a full senior Irish international has also did not nail down a starting spot for his country, but has no plans to give up

"It’s either keep going in the phase I was going in and eventually I’ll just be completely forgotten. At the minute I’m probably the forgotten man in Irish football and if I kept associating with people I’d been associating with before, I would have completely gone off the scale," added Connolly.

"That love for football has probably faded in the last three seasons. Everyone can probably tell by my performances at times. And maybe the way I carried myself on the pitch and sometimes off it.

"Now I'm in a better headspace, you look back at games and think 'Was I really walking around for that long? Did I really have my head down for this long? Did I really walk around like that?’"

🇮🇪| It took Aaron Connolly 10 minutes to score on his Venezia debut

Keep it up Aaron 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/DkAvXsjHgr

— IP🇮🇪⚽️ (@IrishPropaganda) July 22, 2022