There's a very obvious reason why you don't marry your first girlfriend or retire in your first job; things rarely work out straight away. Life requires a certain aspect of trial and error in order to achieve success and football is no exception.
Kung Fu kicks and trawler analogies aside, Eric Cantona is quite rightly heralded as one of the greatest to ever lace up in the Premier League era. He was the kind of character that needed his rafts of talent in order to justify the occasional moment of madness and the overall bizarre aura he carried with him.
It was this reasoning that saw the Frenchman's spell at Leeds United end in tumultuous fashion following a well documented rift with manager, Howard Wilkinson. "Eric likes to do what he likes when he likes - and then f***s off", were Wilkinson's exact words following his lacklustre 92/93 campaign which saw a slew of poor performances and dubious injuries pull the curtain on his time in West Yorkshire.
It was a transfer across county lines that saw 'King Eric' earn his moniker. Envious Leeds fans watched on as Cantona led the red devils to four Premier League titles in five years and an additional two FA Cups for good measure.
So what had changed? Still playing in the same league, against the same opponents and in the position, the catalyst for this change in fortunes could only come from one place, the manager. Sir Alex Ferguson was the man holding the leash of the Frenchman, the only one who could reign him in and on occasions let him loose.
After a series of troubled spells in France and England, Cantona went on to score 64 goals in 143 games for Manchester United (Transfermarkt)
Ferguson had somewhat tamed Cantona, managing to get enough quality out of his striker to offset any outbursts of insanity that might arise. This ability to control your player's mentalities is not achieved in the classes for UEFA coaching licences or the analysis rooms, it is a skill as natural as kicking the ball itself gained through a deeper understanding of the game and the people that play it.
Whilst Aaron Connolly will likely never reach the heights of Cantona, parallels can be drawn between the trajectories of both players. Aged just seventeen when he made his professional debut for Brighton, Connolly was clearly a player with heaps of talent requiring stewardship during this pivotal part of his career.
Injuries led to a false start to his career on loan at Luton, making just two appearances, returning to his parent club without the first team action that his coaches had envisioned for the youngster. Connolly's first professional goals would not come in the Football League but rather the glitz and glamour of the Premiership, scoring twice in a 3-0 home win against Tottenham Hotspur to place his name on every back page as a player that would go right to the very top.
Aaron Connolly celebrating scoring on his league debut for Brighton against Tottenham back in 2019 (Irish Times)
Only one more goal, the decisive strike in a 2-1 win over Burnley, would come for Connolly during the 19/20, season, still an amicable tally for someone only just turning 20 with his whole career ahead of him. The following season would see the Irishman score just twice in seventeen appearances, scaling down some of predictions set for him following his breakout display against Spurs.
That Summer, Teeside came calling for Connolly and a loan move to Middlesborough sought to give the Irish international a chance for regular game time, something that had been at a premium with Brighton. The January move saw Connolly turn out 21 times for Boro, scoring just twice during the backend of the season and becoming a scapegoat for fans frustrated at their side's seventh place finish, five points off the playoffs. His confidence clearly shot by his time up north, there was no way Connolly was going to feature in a Brighton side challenging for the top half of the Premier League meaning another spell on loan was the only option for the once promising talent.
Whether he genuinely wanted to take his talents to Southern Europe or if he just fancied a holiday is firmly up for debate but last Summer saw Connolly loaned out to Italian second division side Venezia. Thankfully for the Irishman, if he had wanted a holiday from this deal he would've had plenty of time to ride a gondola or sample the local cuisine as he only turned out five times in Serie B in six months, failing to register a single goal during this time.
Connolly in action for Venezia, one of just five appearances made for the club (Transfer room)
Upon his return to Britain, Connolly appeared a shadow of his former self, a far cry from the confident 19 year old who had lit up the Premier League. Clearly dejected following a successive failed loan spell, the Irishman proclaimed that he had "not been professional enough", in recent years, an all too common tale for teenage talents in England's top division.
This harks back to comments made by then Brighton manager, Graham Potter, after the Tottenham game, now well over four years ago. Potter stated, "You have to remember he is only 19, so there will be times when he acts mature and there will be times where he is his age - that is normal. But he is a good lad".
I think these two comments put together shows the reasoning for Connolly's downfall in recent years. When you are actually 19, you are afforded certain liberties that older players are not given. Being thrust into the limelight at such a primitive age is a difficult adjustment to make and so the odd behavioural slip is acceptable and foremost, expected. The issues arise when you reach the age of 23 and are still possessing the mentality of a player almost half a decade your senior.
At 23, Lionel Messi had already won a Ballon D'or and Marcus Rashford was singlehandedly taking on the Government, extreme examples I know but evidence of what can be achieved at this age. Whilst Connolly likely won't be winning awards or running for Parliament anytime soon, there is still a need to stop acting like a youth player and step into the mens game he first graced all those years ago.
Aaron Connolly's most prolific spell came during his time with Brighton's under 23s. The Irishman netted 31 goals in 42 games for the Seagull's youth side, earning him his first professional opportunities and ultimately, the highlights of his career. Managed by non other than current Hull gaffer, Liam Rosenior during this spell, it was clear that the two had forged a strong relationship during this time and saw Connolly playing at his best.
Liam Rosenior was a coach within Brighton's academy during Connolly's youth career (Sussex Live)
Knowing this, there's no surprises that Connolly jumped at the chance to once again play under Rosenior, a coach that clearly understands how to get the best out of a player that had failed to perform at many of his previous clubs. "I couldn't say yes quick enough. I worked with him before, I had my best few seasons in football with Liam", remarks Connolly, recalling the sequence of events that brought him to East Yorkshire.
Footballers (barring perhaps Erling Haaland) are not robots, they require support and guidance in their lives and careers like any other human being. I think that's why Connolly was a cause for frustration at Middlesborough. Loan signings, in particular those made in January, are dropped on the doorstep of a manager, rarely given time to gel with their teammates and expected to play as if they've known them their entire lives. Rosenior provides something different for Connolly, a sense of familiarity but also a man who he respects and wants to play for.
Obviously, Connolly's career at Hull is still in its infancy and to make any bold predictions about how his spell will pan out would be a foolish thing to do. Nevertheless, the results so far have been nothing short of impressive. Connolly's first appearance in black and amber was a brief substitute appearance in what can only be described as a bleak draw at home to Huddersfield. Certainly nothing to write home about, but in a game of few positives, there wasn't much of an opportunity for the Irishman to impress,
The second opportunity for the new signing to win over the Hull faithful was a difficult trip to Bramall Lane to face Championship high fliers, Sheffield United. It's an uphill battle for any attacking player to produce against the best defensive side in league nevermind a player operating outside of their most comfortable position. Connolly adopted more of an attacking midfielder role for the fixture, filling the gap between midfield stalwarts, Jean Michaël Seri and Greg Docherty and Tiger's talisman, Oscar Estupinan. The game ended in a 1-0 Sheffield win and little plaudits for the Irish attacker.
QPR at home the following week looked to be a perfect storm for Connolly to get up and running with the fixture presenting the first opportunity for him to play in his natural number nine role, forging a partnership with Hull's top scorer, Estupinan. It's safe to say that Connolly excelled in his first home start, scoring twice in what ended up to be a 3-0 victory for the East Yorkshire outfit.
Connolly celebrates scoring against QPR, his first goals for Hull City (Yorkshire Post)
It was very much a match full of firsts for Hull. The victory was the first home win for the Tigers since October's 2-1 win against Wigan, a bleak 116 days without victory at the MKM stadium, the full time whistle also signalled the first home clean sheet for the side, yet another sign of the turning tide under Rosenior. Connolly also bagged his first goals in Hull shirt, mirroring the faithful afternoon against Tottenham on the South coast.
Connolly appears a man reborn, already equalling his Middlesbrough tally having played 18 less games. For the first time since his Brighton days, there's an air of confidence about the 23 year old and much of that can be put down to the management of Rosenior.
"I've known him since he was a kid and I love him", were the Hull manager's opening remarks about Connolly following the victory. Rosenior follows this up adding that "He's emotional at times and when he first came to the club, he was on his best behaviour. But I didn't want that, I wanted him to be himself".
Rosenior speaks as if he truly understands Connolly; I think he still sees the bright eyed teenager at the world at his feet, not the 23 year old failed wonder kid seemingly destined to be the latest in the line of Football League nomads, never truly able to settle at a club. Whether Connolly will continue to excel at Hull on the pitch is still a question but the issue of his mentality and desire to play will no longer be a problem so long as Rosenior is at the helm of the club. It's for this exact reason that Connolly has failed to hit the ground running at many of his previous clubs, the quality may be there but the mentality is not, an important and often overlooked side of the beautiful game.
Connolly is embraced by Hull captain Jean Michaël Seri following the win against QPR (Hull City)
Asides from a shared penchant for a scarf, Sir Alex Ferguson and Liam Rosenior are yet to find themselves on the same planet in regard to management success. However, much like Sir Alex and Cantona, Rosenior has control of Connolly's reigns letting him loose on the pitch but knowing he can reign him in when necessary. Both managers have taken a 'troubled' player and turned them into the best versions of themselves.
As nice as it would be, I don't think Aaron Connolly is leading Hull City to four titles in five years anytime soon. Regardless, I think Hull fans can appreciate what we have got; a proven striker with bags of experience in need of a bit of guidance in his career. Rosenior will be able to unlock Connolly and give a player who has been on a downwards spiral for the last couple of years a chance to get back on his feet.
You never know, with Brighton's surge for European football, Connolly may return to the South coast surplus to requirements and find himself once again in black and amber, but this time permanently. Perhaps becoming our 'King Connolly'.
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