Larne defender Dan Bent has played in two European competitions this summer and now faces a former team in a Conference League tie that could earn his club vital funds
By Playing in the Shadows
Premier League footballers are gearing up for the start of the season, but some of their fellow professionals in smaller leagues across Europe have been going all summer – even those who play a winter campaign. Some played the biggest games of their lives when the rest of us were watching the World Cup. The Champions League qualifiers began when the World Cup was at the last-16 stage, with some clubs already knocked out of Europe by the time England were beaten by Argentina in Atlanta.
Larne, the champions of Northern Ireland, began their European crusade on the day Argentina beat Egypt in the World Cup last-16, Dan Bent’s penalty in the second leg a week later helping them overcome Tre Fiori of San Marino in the Champions League. Larne’s reward was a meeting with former European champions Red Star Belgrade. They were beaten 9-0 on aggregate by the Serbian giants, but it is an experience Bent will treasure for ever.
“Red Star was probably the biggest game in the club’s history,” says the centre-back. “When the draw came out, we were ecstatic. You want to play those games in those stadiums. Everyone tells you about how long the tunnel is and how intimidating it is, and then you’re there and a part of it. There were 27,000 fans and the funny thing is, for them, that’s a medium-sized crowd. The stadium was only half-full.” The population of Larne could have fit into the rest of it with room to spare.
“Red Star were just another level,” he says. “You don’t realise until you’re in amongst it. You do your best, but sometimes there are gaps that are hard to bridge. But to play in that competition, at that ground, against a team as big as that, was amazing. I’ll remember it for the rest of my life.”
The European qualifiers move fast, with teams given little time to prepare or analyse opponents. “It’s a privilege to play in Champions League qualifiers but a lot of uncertainty comes with that,” says Bent. “In early June you know your first Champions League game would be around the first week of July, so you can gear up for that. But after that, each week will just change depending on results.
“One minute, we could be heading to Rangers or Slovakia, the next we’re going to Gibraltar or Cyprus. You might be playing one team who could play in a totally different way to the other, or we might want to play in a different way against them. You need to pick up things quickly. It’s a quick turnaround. Logistically, it is pretty crazy. You have to plan for all eventualities.”
If players find it unnerving, imagine the stress for the clubs’ operations managers and the players’ families. “I’ve got a partner and two children and it is hard for them,” says Bent. “She’s very supportive and understands, but it doesn’t get any easier knowing I’m away for three days, then the week after I could be flying out again to another country. It helps when you have a good family around you who understand the demands of football. They know it’s a positive thing because not many people are able to play in Champions League qualifiers.”
Bent is used to living out of a suitcase and jumping on a plane every few days. He grew up in Kent and started his career at Gillingham. After being released in 2015 when he was a teenager, he took a scholarship in America. He played college and semi-professional soccer in Georgia, Ohio and South Carolina before moving to Gibraltar to play for Magpies, Manchester 62 and then Lincoln Red Imps – who are Larne’s next European opponents.
After losing to Red Star in the Champions League, Larne dropped into the Europa League qualifiers where they were narrowly beaten in extra time by Georgian club Iberia 1999. Now they face the Gibraltan champions over two legs for a place in the Conference League group stage, the first leg on Thursday seeing an emotional return for Bent, who spent long enough in Gibraltar to become eligible for the national team and earn 17 caps.
The tie is a huge opportunity for both clubs. Larne beat the Red Imps at this stage two years ago and booked their place in the Conference League group stage, securing €2.6m in prize money. Considering that clubs are awarded around £50,000 for winning the league in Northern Ireland and just £20,000 for winning the cup, that is transformational money for the club and players – who earn hefty bonuses for European victories.
“There’s a big core of boys who were here when they got to the group phase, so they talk about that,” says Bent. “They played games all the way up until Christmas. They’ve been there and they want to go back.” The group stage is also a prominent shop window. It’s not just Bodø/Glimt players who are earning transfers off the back of repeated impressive performances in European competitions.
Being able to drop through Uefa’s three tiers can be a gamechanger for players’ careers. “That’s where the hard work of winning the league previously comes to fruition,” says Bent. “You go through the whole year to win the league, to make sure you’ll have a summer of European football. If you go out of the Champions League, you’re going to be dropping down and having a few games. I do enjoy that.”
These second and third chances mean a lot of players are racking up considerable European records. “I’m probably up there in terms of European experience,” says Bent, who will play in Europe for the 21st time when Larne visit Gibraltar on Thursday night. “Our goalkeeper, Rohan Ferguson, has something like 40 appearances in Europe. We have boys who’ve been great servants in the league but haven’t played a lot of European football, and young lads with that fresh hunger, wanting to play in it. It’s a well-balanced group.”
Larne kicked off their title defence with a hard-fought goalless draw at Coleraine over the weekend and the second leg of their tie against Lincoln Red Imps next week will be their 10th match in five competitions this season. But you won’t hear them complaining. They are having life-enriching experiences on their European expeditions.
This is an article by Gavin Willacy for Playing in the Shadows
