BRFC Articles

Filan's flying!

Are you the established number one at Blackburn now?

"I don't think you're ever established. If you feel like you are, that's when your game might start to slip. We've got some very good 'keepers at this club, so I'm happy just to be playing regularly in the team and to be playing well. Hopefully I can continue."

You'll have to keep playing well to keep Tim Flowers and Alan Fettis out of the side?

"I think in every position at this club, or any Premiership club, everyone's got to play well consistently. We've got squads of 20-25 players that want to play. I've got to play well, mostly for myself and for the club to get results and if I do that I'll keep my spot."

Is there one perfomance you can recall which helped you to win the 'keeper's jersey?

"Not really. I think I got the chance and took it. I played when Tony Parkes was the caretaker-manager, but I got concussion against Leicester. Then the new manager came in and put me in the side at Forest and I think basically we've looked solid and I've looked solid myself over the period of games. I'm just trying to keep that form going as long as possible."

You've had to wait for recognition. Can you tell us about your career history?

"I came over and got signed for Cambridge, where I played for two seasons. i enjoyed my time there, it was a little club and we were in the First and Second Divisions when I was there. I moved from there to Coventry but didn't have the best of times; I played about 20 games for them but Steve Ogrizovic was there so it was a bit hard for me to break into the first team. Then at the start of last season Blackburn came in for me and I've enjoyed it here ever since."

Were you put off leaving Coventry and going to Rovers with Tim Flowers there?

"No, not really. When I came up here and spoke to the club and saw the facilities I thought it would be a nice place to be. It's obviously a lot bigger club than Coventry and, like I said, I didn't really enjoy it there and wanted to get out. I wanted to come to a big club like this in the Premier League to see how I could do. I knew I wouldn't walk into the team, but I thought if I could get my chance I'd take it, and it's turned out well."

Was it a disappointment for you not to make it at Coventry?

"Football -wise yes, it was. Coventry brought me into the Premier League, I was happy to join them but it didn't really go well for the team or for myself when I was there. I was happy to leave when I did to come to Blackburn. I had a bad injury last season which was a bit of a downpoint but it's all going well now. It's turned out well for me."

You've had some injury problems this term haven't you?

"That's right. I smashed my right forearm and dislocated my elbow, so it was nine months before I was back, but they were predicting a 12-month lay-off, so I was happy to be back quicker. I got a couple of matches in at the end of the last season, then this season I've been in the side."

Is it true you had a lucky escape on the injury front this season?

"Yeah. We played Sunderland at Blackburn and I came out for a cross and collided with Niall Quinn, so I ended up landing on my head and my neck. I thought I'd done something serious and ended up going off on a stretcher and going for neck X-rays but thankfully there was no permanent damage. I was more than happy to walk away from that one."

Did you fear the worst when you were taken off?

"I feared the worst as I was coming down, I can tell you. I thought it was really serious. I tried to keep calm about it though and waited to see what the X-rays showed, but it wasn't too serious. I had a week of intensive physio and although I still get a bit of pain now and again, it's a lot better than it was."

Do you have any aspirations at international level?

"It's funny because the Australian situation is not like it is in England. They only have World Cup qualifiers every four years that mean anything. Other than that they tend to play friendlies and stuff. They've got a caretaker-manager, no one's taken the job at the moment, and I've not really heard from anyone. It's at the back of mind right now, I don't really worry about it. I'm more concerned with things at Blackburn."