On December 10 2008, Mark Randall appeared within the Champions League group phases for the very first time.
The midfielder – 19-years-old on the time – changed Alex Music for the ultimate 11 minutes of Arsenal’s 2-0 defeat to Porto.
Because it turned out, it was the one and solely sport he performed at that degree – the truth is, it was the fourth to final sport the midfielder ever performed for the membership earlier than leaving for Chesterfield in the summertime of 2011 after a decade in north London.
The expertise on the pinnacle of European soccer was fleeting, however one he nonetheless savours.
“Once we got through from the group stages, Arsene Wenger liked to give the young players an opportunity,” Randall – now 34 – tells Sky Sports activities.
“The very first thing I bear in mind concerning the Porto sport is approaching and getting nutmegged straightaway, in order that wasn’t a fantastic begin!
“As a child approaching on a stage like that was a very good expertise. I used to be fairly fearless so I simply acquired on with it. I do not bear in mind large quantities as a result of it was all a little bit of a blur, however the entire expertise was nice.
“He [Wenger] was brilliant. He just let you go out and play your own game. He said: ‘If you are good enough, you can play’. That was all you needed to hear as a young boy. He let us play with freedom so we were nice and relaxed when we got the opportunity.”
Quick-forward simply shy of 16 years from that evening within the Estadio do Dragao and Randall’s profession has come full circle.
For the reason that summer season of 2019, he has been taking part in for Northern Irish champions Larne, who’ve reached the league stage of this season’s Convention League.
Tiernan Lynch’s aspect beat Kosovar aspect Ballkani on penalties within the third qualifying spherical, then recorded a 4-3 combination win over Lincoln Crimson Imps of Gibraltar to develop into the primary aspect from Northern Eire to ever progress previous European qualifying.
On Thursday evening, they face Molde in Norway, earlier than internet hosting a cross-border derby with Shamrock Rovers of the Republic of Eire three weeks later.
Larne – owned by Kenny Bruce, co-founder of on-line property agent Purple Bricks – additionally face St Gallen and Gent at their Inver Park house, with additional journeys to Slovenia to face Olimpija and Belarus to face Dinamo Minsk.
“It’s a massive achievement for us and everyone at the club,” says Randall.
“We just have to go and enjoy every minute of every game now. We’re here and we’ve got to go and take the opportunity.”
The massive query, although is: How did Randall find yourself in County Antrim in any respect?
After two years at Chesterfield – the place he received the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy in 2011/12 – frolicked in Italy with Ascoli, earlier than spells at MK Dons, Barnet, Newport and Crawley preceded a drop out of the EFL for the primary time when he joined Hemel Hempstead of the Nationwide League South in March 2019.
“One of my old managers at Newport got in touch with me, who put me in touch with Larne as they were looking for a midfielder,” he explains.
“I came over for a week to see if I liked it, really enjoyed myself and everything about the club and I signed.”
He has not appeared again since.
“It’s the most I’ve felt at home at a club and my family love it over here.
“Life is good and relaxed, much more chilled out than England. There is a good coastal highway 5 minutes from my home, so we wish to take the children down there onto the seashore and sit back. When the solar’s out, it is a beautiful place to be.
“Playing close to 200 games and winning trophies was the goal for me and everyone at the club when I came here.
Randall joined Larne in the summertime of 2019
“If I’d come over maybe a year or two earlier it would’ve been nice, but it was still really good timing. I’d had enough of playing in England and being around League One and League Two clubs.
“Coming over right here was in all probability probably the greatest selections I ever made.”
It has been a protracted journey, however Randall is getting an opportunity on the massive stage as soon as once more.
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