The Lyon defender could win his first senior Ireland cap in Saturday's clash against Belgium
Very little of Jake O’Brien’s season at Lyon has been straightforward, and yet that turmoil and chaos has been the making of him.
That said, he got a taste of ongoing tensions when Lyon’s fed up ‘Ultras’ had it out with players on the pitch after a 4-1 home defeat to PSG the month before. Throw in some boardroom battles behind the scenes and Olympique Lyonnais have been a tinderbox waiting to ignite. Now established as a regular in the side, giant defender O’Brien has become Lyon’s second highest scorer of the season with four goals in 19 appearances.
“Especially for Lyon who are used to winning. This season hasn't been the best but I think we have turned it around and since Christmas it has been a lot more positive. Loan spells followed at Swindon Town and Belgian outfit Molenbeek, the latter an experience that opened his eyes to the prospect of playing on the continent.
“Lyon is an historical club, and a big club in France. The fans are amazing and so are the facilities. “To go from watching him on TV playing for Ireland, to playing under him is great,” added the Youghal man. He won a national boxing title as a teenager and was also a hurler of note, involved in Cork’s underage teams.
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