The podcast
GH Connects Podcast: The Players Lounge
Real conversations with footballers about the person behind the player. Their journey, the difficult moments and the people who shaped them.
About the show
The person behind the player
GH Connects is a football platform built around genuine connections and positive storytelling. It’s about going beyond what people see on the pitch and understanding the person behind the player: their journey, their experiences, the difficult moments and the people who shaped them.
Every episode is published with show notes, chapter markers and a full transcript, so you can read it, search it or listen to it.
- Host
- Gerryn Hussain
- Format
- Long-form video interview
- Length
- 45 to 75 minutes
- Cadence
- Monthly
Episodes
Every conversation
Episode 01Approx. 60 minComing soon
Mark O'Brien
Newport County legend
The goal, the heart surgery, the comeback
Mark O'Brien scored the goal that kept Newport County in the Football League, then played on with a heart condition that would end his career. He sits down with Gerryn to talk about the moment, the surgery, and the life that came after football.
Show notes
- Growing up in Dublin and the move to Derby County as a teenager.
- The 89th minute against Notts County and what it meant to a city.
- Playing with a heart condition, and the decision to have open heart surgery.
- Retiring at 27 and finding an identity outside the game.
- Coaching, media work, and the players he still speaks to every week.
Chapters
- 00:00Welcome to the Players Lounge
- 04:10Dublin, Derby and leaving home young
- 16:35Newport County and the survival season
- 28:50The goal
- 38:20The heart condition nobody saw
- 49:05Life after the last game
- 57:40Advice for the next one through the door
Transcript
The full transcript is published here on the day the episode goes live.
Be on the show
Are you an ex-professional with a story to tell?
The Players Lounge is open to former professionals who want to tell their story properly. No gotchas, no clickbait. Respect for the game and the people in it.
A few spots left this season