Tommy Mooney has revealed that he came close to quitting football at the end of last season, after a frustrating year at Birmingham left him out of favour and farmed out to three different clubs on loan. Mooney became so disillusioned that he seriously considered hanging up his boots but Swindon boss Andy King persuaded the 31-year-old to join Swindon on a free transfer and the experienced striker has now recaptured his enthusiasm for the game. Mooney's goals have helped his new club to an impressive start to their campaign and he believes that Swindon are an outside bet to make a challenge for Second Division promotion this season. Givemefootball's Mark Shail is the man with the questions.
Q:
HOW CLOSE WERE YOU TO QUITTING IN THE SUMMER?
A:
Midway through June, I was seriously considering packing it all in after a difficult season led to me falling out of love with the game. But I spoke to Andy King and he is such an enthusiastic personality that within five minutes of our conversation I was sold on the idea of making a fresh start at Swindon. Thankfully, things have started really well for me here and, looking back, I can't believe that I was ever considering quitting.
Q:
YOU MUST BE PLEASED TO BE ABLE TO PUT ALL OF LAST YEAR'S DISAPPOINTMENTS FIRMLY BEHIND YOU?
A:
Yes I am. I knew that I wasn't going to play at Birmingham, but I had a year left on my contract and still wanted to play so I decided to sign for Stoke on loan. But within a few days of signing the manager Steve Cotterill left the club and my situation changed. I then joined Sheffield United on loan and I knew within the first couple of days of signing that it was a huge mistake because I didn't hit it off with Neil Warnock. My third loan spell was at Derby and I actually enjoyed it there because it was only half an hour from where I live, but I never really felt like I belonged there.
Q:
SWINDON HAVE MADE A GOOD START, WHAT DO YOU PUT THAT DOWN TO?
A:
We like to play football the right way. We have adapted well in that we can pass the ball when we need to but we also know when we have to get the ball forward quickly. One of our strengths is that we can hold the ball up quite well and that enables us to keep possession, and that is so important at this level.
Q:
YOU SEEM TO HAVE STRUCK UP A GOOD UNDERSTANDING WITH SAM PARKIN?
A:
I've been very impressed with Sam. He scored 26 goals last year and has got three already this season and if he has scored around 12 to 15 by Christmas I wouldn't be surprised if bigger clubs aren't looking at him. He is a big lad with two good feet and he's got that knack of being in the right place at the right time. I was injured during pre-season and we only managed to play together for 45 minutes against Wolves so I would like to think that we will improve as a partnership as we get to know each other's game more and more.
Q:
DO YOU THINK THAT SWINDON CAN MAKE A REALISTIC CHALLENGE FOR PROMOTION?
A:
Yes I do. We have only got a shallow squad so we will be hoping to avoid long-term injuries. But if we can keep most people fit throughout the season there is no reason why we can't make a challenge. We played Sheffield Wednesday on the opening game of the season and gave them a three-goal start in the first 20 minutes. After that, we dominated the game and, although we lost 3-2, we should really have got something out of the game.
Q:
WHICH OTHER TEAMS DO YOU THINK WILL BE UP THERE THIS SEASON?
A:
Sheffield Wednesday have a powerful squad, but it remains to be seen how the players adapt to life in the Second Division. QPR are likely to be up there, as are Bristol City, but I doubt if there is going to be a team that runs away with the league in the way that Wigan did last season.
