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West Bromwich Albion striker, remembers a nervous movement of his career in English football - in the reading room

part of the initiation ceremony for new recruits in the West Bromwich Albion suppose to sing in front of the rest of the team on the first trip. What is happening in many other clubs and usually ends up being a humiliating experience for the player and a source of fun for everyone. However, there was no laughter usual when Shane Long sang My Girl at the team hotel before the game against Chelsea in August. "How can I go on like this?" Was the response from Ben Foster.

Albion goalkeeper had the thankless task of trying to compete with a player whose musical talent has led some of his former colleagues in the reading to ask if he could become a star in the

The X Factor

, and a great Premier League striker. Long, who is the most modest of a person as one could wish to meet, blushed at the suggestion. "I think it's because I play football," said the Irishman, "and because people think it would not be able to sing or play guitar, so when I do a little surprised. "

It was certainly a pleasant surprise for Brian McDermott, the manager of the reading was a Scout leader when they arrived in the city of Cork in 2005 in a £ 92,000 case - the case does not word justice - Kevin Doyle has also made the club. McDermott, who has always long with a roof over your head in the first two months, I had no idea that prompted its share their passion for the guitar. "I took it and played on a barbecue and I was a little surprised," says Long.

his first audition on reading soon. "It was Ronnie 70th birthday kit grant and the man held a surprise party for him after practice one day," recalls Long, who was 18 at the time. "Brian has his guitar and told me I had to sing in front of everyone. It was about three months after I joined the club. I was still very young and I can remember the sweat poured out of me. It was the more nervous I had never been - everyone at the club sitting in the dining room

"I sang No Woman, No Cry and all the boys got up and rolled with it immediately. Soon everyone began to join him and that made it much easier. In retrospect, it was an icebreaker. It's like I'm on the computer some more. Although he was nervous and sweating, it was a way to introduce myself to all players and I think that's why Brian made me do. "

Long

late father, Eamonn, had inspired him to become interested in music from an early age. "My father played the guitar a lot. I used to go to church to sing and sing with him in the car. He showed my brother to play the guitar and then the next step for me. I picked it up when I was about 13, so I played for 11 years. I try a little of everything, David Gray, Paolo Nutini, anything with a guitar in real life. "

is long a credit to his father and his mother, Anne, who moved with him to Cork, then in England. It is a humble man, young, well educated with traditional values. He received his first press conference about playing in a suit and tie, and there is a great story of how he and his mother leave the key in the door when he rented a house together in England, because that's what life was also Gortnahoe, County Tipperary, where he grew long. "It took me a while to get used to the fact that he could not do that here and you need to set the alarm," he said with a smile.

Tipperary launches territory along and excelled in sports at an early age. It was not until he reached 12 he joined a football team, after an informal conversation that his father had in a pub. A few years later to another club, called San Miguel, where he attracted the attention of the city of Cork. Launch of a promising career - played for the Tipperary minors and appeared in two All-Ireland semi-final at Croke Park - was flourishing at the time and took the point that a very important decision that should be did. "I do not want any regrets," said Long. "I always thought that if football did not work, could raise. But it was my chance to lend a football. "

Twelve months later, the risk was worth it. McDermott came to see Doyle, but a young substitute also drew attention and reading signed both players. It was a great movement for a long period in particular. He had only made a few appearances in Cork and his raw talent as a player has completed the first reading of his training. "I was with Jem Karacan and we had to do different exercises that I had to keep the ball in the air for one minute as a pair. It was fine, but it was brutal, "says Long, laughing. "Jem now says he thought at the time:" Who is this guy ?'"
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