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Challenge of life at Bohs suits young Dubliner Wilson after spell with Foden at Manchester City 

Bohemians defender, Liverpool fan and former Man City player Tyreke Wilson. Photo: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile Expand

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Bohemians defender, Liverpool fan and former Man City player Tyreke Wilson. Photo: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

Bohemians defender, Liverpool fan and former Man City player Tyreke Wilson. Photo: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

Bohemians defender, Liverpool fan and former Man City player Tyreke Wilson. Photo: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

Aidan Fitzmaurice

As a Liverpool supporter and a former Manchester City player, the midweek Champions League action was a case of split screens and divided loyalties for Tyreke Wilson.

If he struggled to focus on one thing on Wednesday night, Wilson (21) says there are no distractions for him where it counts, on the field, as he aims to make the most of his time at Bohs and extend a promising career instead of seeing it fade away.

The Walkinstown native came back to Ireland in January of last year and joined Waterford FC, leaving Pep Guardiola’s club with six months left on his contract, with a further move, to Bohs, at the start of this season. 

"A lot of people say you shouldn't go back to play in Ireland as you can go missing but you have to back yourself, believe in yourself and that's what I did, I kept my head down, trained hard and it's worked out well for me. The league now is a massive shop window,” says left-back Wilson, who impressed on his debut for Bohs in last week’s win over Dundalk.

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“Staying in the game and doing well, that's the challenge and that's what I have always had as a kid, a drive. When I came home I knew if I didn't do it at Waterford, where else was there for me to go?

“That was the biggest thing for me, staying hungry, not going out all the time, eating well, behaving right off the field. That's the difference with players who come back from across the water who look to get away again.”

After six years at City, he knew his time was up as his contract would not be extended. "I had been on two pre-season tours with the first team and I was close enough but Man City are a massive club and they can spend €50 million on full-backs so where do you stand?

“You need to look elsewhere to get first-team game time. You can play as many reserve games as you like but there comes a time when you stop developing. You need to get out and experience playing against men in the real world, fighting for three points every week.”

Wilson was unable to make progress at City but he marked out team-mate and close friend Phil Foden from early on. “I played with Phil from when I went over at 14 and you could always tell he had something extra.

“"He was never the biggest, the strongest or the quickest, but his brain was different to everyone else, he could see things quicker than anyone else, he was five passes ahead of everyone else.

"You just know with some players that they will go on to great things but he worked hard, did extra training, I’m delighted for him,” Wilson says.

Having watched the Gypsies’ first three games of the season from the bench, he was given a chance against Dundalk last week. The aim now to stay in the side for tonight’s trip to his former club, Waterford.

“We all want to go that step further but you look at the players Bohs lost, they lost their front three which was probably the best in the league last year.

“We will compete, we want to do well in Europe and the cup, we want to be successful, we'll build on our performances and see where it takes us.”

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