The Players Lounge · Episode 01Published
Mark O'Brien: The goal, the heart surgery, the comeback
Newport County legend · Released 4 September 2026 · 59 min
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. In the first episode of The Players Lounge, he sits down with Gerryn to talk about the Great Escape, the surgery, and the life that came after football.
Show notes
- Newport County's Great Escape and the final-day goal at Rodney Parade.
- The manager's instruction, the celebrations and Jeff Stelling's reaction.
- Wembley, Manchester City and the people around Mark's playing career.
- Leaving Dublin for Derby County and making a senior debut at sixteen.
- Mark's personal account of illness, recovery and life beyond playing.
- Manchester United memories, a trivia round and advice.
Chapters
- 00:00Mark O'Brien, Newport County legend
- 00:27The Great Escape: eleven points from safety, twelve games left
- 03:44The manager told him to stay back
- 06:18Jeff Stelling's reaction
- 07:56The Oldham half-volley
- 09:22Sent off at Wembley
- 14:17A team of misfits
- 16:22Newport v Guardiola's Manchester City
- 22:43Leaving Dublin at fifteen
- 23:38Nigel Clough, and a first-team debut at sixteen
- 27:54What Robbie Savage did after the final whistle
- 30:47The screening that found something
- 33:17Your heart is three times the size it should be
- 34:25The valve that might last a year
- 36:08Seven months later, live on MUTV
- 37:1027, and the scan that ended it
- 40:38The phone call to Michael Flynn
- 42:31The night before the operation
- 45:28Six weeks in hospital
- 48:33Taking the mask off
- 49:49Player care, and Ben White
- 52:30Roy Keane, Paul McGrath, and a clean kit
- 54:20One game in a United shirt
- 55:41The Manchester United trivia round
- 57:11Three questions to finish
Read the companion story
Gerryn's written piece on this conversation, with the context around the episode.
Read the story →