Brad Lyons: A Welcome Return

One of the breakout stars of 2023 was surely Brad Lyons. After a supporting role in his first two seasons, he established himself as a go-to pick in central midfield. Then, just as it was all going so well, an injury kept the newly capped Northern Ireland international out for a prolonged spell. Now back fully fit and free of suspension, Brad tells Killie Magazine about his road to recovery.

“It was really frustrating because up until then I’d started every game I was available for, other than suspension. I was playing well and I was feeling fit and ready. My confidence was at an all-time high, I’d represented my country, which I couldn’t be prouder of. I was captaining the side when Kyle and Rory were out of the team. Everything was happening naturally with the confidence I had. I was feeling so good.

“But football’s a game of ups and downs, and injuries can come at the wrong time. It’s one of those things as a footballer that injuries come and you’ve just got to deal with it. The whole plan was just to get fit and, unfortunately, when I did, I tweaked my hamstring against Rangers.

“It put me out for the rest of the season but it was probably a positive because I could focus on getting rested and recovered over the summer. I’ve come back to pre-season fit and I’ve stayed fit, which has allowed me to hit the ground running.

“I feel as good as last season, and it’s big credit to the physios as well. Last season and during the summer in rehab they did everything they could to make sure I was at full-strength for pre-season. It shows you how important pre-season is because once you get that good six to eight weeks of training and running, it gets you back up to the speed of things.”

While injuries are a risk of the profession, every player has their own reaction when it happens. Perhaps unsurprisingly, our popular midfielder has taken a positive, proactive approach.

“I’ve picked up a few injuries but this would have been my longest time on the sidelines. To be honest, I was probably worse when I got injured when I was younger.

“I worked with a mindset coach a few years back for a couple of years, and that’s probably helped me the most – you’ve just got to be the best teammate you can. Monday to Friday you’re working as hard as you can on your rehab, and looking after yourself to get yourself fit. But on a matchday you’re more or less a fan. It’s probably worse because I get the fans’ stresses – it’s definitely harder to watch than it is playing!

“In terms of keeping injured players involved, it’s hard to single anyone out because we are all mates, we are all a close-knit team. We get on brilliant – we have a wee card school, some of the boys play darts. We aren’t out of the changing room until half two, three o’clock, because we’re sitting playing darts or having good craic. No one wants to leave because it is such good fun.

“But I do have to give a shoutout to big Innes Cameron as a teammate because he was always looking after me when I was injured, picking me up or driving me home, or just getting me out of the house for a coffee.”

The start to the season has seen Killie involved in some high-profile matches against Cercle Brugge, Tromsø, and FC Copenhagen. Derek McInnes has had to use his squad to the full in order to manage the demands. Brad is appreciative of the approach his manager has taken, with time set aside to recover.

“The gaffer’s been really good in regards to giving us days off, especially after the Sunday games, giving us the day off to refresh. I’d say it’s more mentally than physically, just being around family rather than being in the training ground and stadium. A lot of teams would be in every day and the boys don’t get a break, but the gaffer’s been really good. It keeps us fresh in the mind as well when you’ve got a busy schedule.

“We love days off but I’ll never compare it to a normal nine-to-five job. I’d barely even call being a footballer a job because, for me personally, I love every minute of it. I love being in with the boys, I love being in the stadium. I love playing football, so it’s a dream come true for me to be a professional footballer. So I never feel like I have to go in. I love the training as well, and I think most of the boys, if not all of them, are exactly the same. Around the training room is so much fun, and it’s a great environment to be in.”

Every pre-match at Rugby Park for the past couple of seasons, the familiar refrain of mascots naming Danny Armstrong as their favourite player. But in recent months, a few others have been given a look in, including Brad Lyons.

“To be fair to Danny, it was well deserved, he’s been unbelievable. The young girls and boys who are football fans just love people who score goals and love wee tricky wingers. I think there’s been more saying my name probably because they’ve seen me more – I’ve really played my part with the team and I’ve scored a few important goals.

“I think unfortunately that in football, when people score goals and are in the limelight, the fans love them more. But there’s a lot of players in Kilmarnock who give a lot behind the scenes. It might not be in the limelight of scoring goals and setting up goals but they do a great job for the team.

“But every wee fan who says my name and looks up to me, it does make me feel good.

“Kyle Vassell and I turned on the Christmas lights last year. The fans and the community give so much to us, they sacrifice their money, they sacrifice their time to come and watch us and support us home and away, so any little thing we can give back to them, we will. It’s mad to see wee kids and fans looking up to us and wanting to meet us. So any little opportunity to give back to them, we’ll take it.

“It’s a whole community thing and if we don’t have fans supporting us and backing us, it would be proper tough for us to try and pick up results on a Saturday.”

When – when, not if – Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill drops our number 8 another text about a future international squad, he will be calling up a player with a greater level of experience than the one who made his debut last year against Slovenia.

“Probably like any line of work, it’s the experience that comes along with the European games, playing against different styles of play. These teams like to play in different ways and learning how to deal with that is probably the biggest factor. And the experience of playing in these massive games, the nerves and the tension, and trying to play your own game.

“So the more and more you play in the bigger games, the more comfortable you get. It’s about playing the game and not the occasion. It becomes natural and you can take it in your stride. That’s the biggest thing, not letting the situation get bigger than the job in hand.”

This piece was written by Gordon Gillen for the club’s Killie Magazine – and it’s just a flavour of what you’ll get. The new edition will be available in the Killie Superstore ahead of Saturday’s match against Dundee United.