Dylan Lawlor is having himself a year.
Wow, what a year you’ve had! It’s been a special season, but your ascent from relative obscurity to becoming integral for both club and country has been remarkable. Firstly, congratulations on promotion, which is an amazing achievement. How are you? I know you’ve had a knock in the last few weeks and have been hobbling around a bit.
I picked up a knock playing for Wales which is a bit of a struggle and not going away. It’s a bruised toe, nothing major, but it’s painful during games. I’ve been trying to get through it with promotion on the cards, but hopefully it settles down in the next couple of weeks.
You’re 20 now and was 19 at the start of the season. This has been your first season in men’s football, playing in a very physical league. How much has it taken a toll on your body? You must be shattered!
It’s taken a bigger toll than I thought it would if I’m honest! I think I’ve learned a lot about my body and how to handle the physicality. There have been a few knocks that ideally wouldn’t have happened, but that’s part of football. It’s a tough league and something I’ve had to learn to deal with. There’s a lot of gym work I’ve added to my routine to help prevent injuries from happening, with help from our physios and sports scientists, so fingers crossed, going forward I can stay injury free.
You made your Cardiff debut in a cup game at Aston Villa last season, a ground which has one of the best atmospheres in English football. You’ve since played against Chelsea and in huge games for your country. Do you get nervous ahead of such daunting games, excited or is it a mix of both?
Definitely a bit of both. I do get nervous and it doesn’t have to be a big game because I got really nervous for one of the Vertu trophy games! When I feel nervous, I feel like I’m in a good place because I care about the game and want to perform well. There’s obviously excitement as well because I can’t wait to play. I’ve always dreamt of playing for Cardiff City and putting on that shirt. The smallest games are as big as the biggest games in terms of nerves. When I’m nervous, I’m ready for the game and I quite enjoy the feeling.
Embed from Getty ImagesThere must be a big difference between playing youth football and then suddenly playing in front of huge crowds in high pressure situations. Does that take some getting used to?
I think it does a little bit, but when you’re playing the game, you’re in a flow state and you forget about the crowd in a way. You’re enjoying your football and concentrating on the game, so it goes to the back of your mind rather than being a big factor.
You and a few other young players were thrown in at the deep end this season, which was one of the benefits of Cardiff dropping down a level because it afforded that opportunity. You very quickly found your stride, but struggled a bit in those first few games. How have you found adapting to League One and what have been the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s been tough. As you say, I did struggle in those first few games and the physicality took me by surprise, but I think I learnt a lot from those games and it put me in a good place going forward. The Port Vale game showed me what League One was going to be like and it was a real learning curve. Playing against experienced strikers that know how to use their body and the dark arts of the game, but I’ve worked closely with the staff on these things and they’ve been brilliant with me.
You’re one of four centre backs that are all essentially starters and have been rotated throughout the season. How have you found partnering three stylistically different players on a regular basis and does your role differ with each?
My role doesn’t differ massively. They’re three quality centre backs and it’s easy to slot in next to any of them because of their ability on and off the ball. I’ve learned so much from all of them throughout the season. There’s a clear identity regardless of who plays and it doesn’t change due to the personnel.
Embed from Getty ImagesBrian Barry-Murphy has overseen a remarkable transformation this season and it feels like a sense of momentum was created from the off that has driven Cardiff to promotion. Can you describe the impact he has had and how he managed to repair a group of players that really suffered last season?
His role has been massive. He probably underestimates how big an impact he’s had on the club when you see him speak about it to the media. His coaching ability aside, how he’s changed the mindset at the club and how confident we now are is massive and it’s credit to him that we’ve been promoted. We go into every game knowing exactly how he wants us to play and how he sees the game unfolding. He’s spot on most weeks and when things work, you trust the gameplan. The togetherness in the team is massive.
How has Brian coached you in particular? Has he been very hands on and detailed in his instructions?
It’s been very detailed and hands on. That’s the way he works and he’s always out on the pitch with us. He’s taught me a lot and given me the confidence to play with freedom. He gives you details going into every game, but it’s not a rigid system, it’s very free flowing, which is really good to play in.
In contrast, how have you found working with Craig Bellamy at international level? I’ve spoken to Craig in the past and I know how in depth he is with how he sees the game and how intensely he works. Brian and Craig seem like very different characters, but share a similar approach to football.
They see football in the same way, which is perfect for me because it suits the way I play the game, so it’s been really easy to go between both. I’ve enjoyed every minute of working under both of them. They both value working really intensely, as I do because I see the benefit of it. There are a lot of similarities between the both of them. In terms of how they want you to play and press, I would say they’re very similar.
Embed from Getty ImagesI guess that Cardiff and Wales playing in a broadly similar way has therefore benefitted your adaption to both during your breakthrough season?
100%. It’s so easy to move between both. It can sometimes be a struggle playing one way with Cardiff and another with Wales, but with both managers seeing football in the same way, it’s been nothing but a positive for me.
You seem to be very adept at stepping out from defence and carrying the ball forward, which is typically a characteristic of a midfielder and players with that ability often end up playing further forward. Have you played in that position previously and does Brian encourage that quality in your game?
I’ve always been a centre back and have never pushed into midfield before. Brian wants you to commit players, take them on and create overloads, which all starts from the back in modern football, so it’s a quality I need to have. Brian has definitely given me the confidence to show it and with teams going man to man against us, when you beat the first man, things open up for you. I suppose that ability has always been there, but I haven’t had the chance to show it until now.
In the last 12 months, you’ve made your international debut, cemented yourself in the side for club and country, agreed a new deal and won promotion to the Championship. It’s been a dream season for you and you’re still only about 30 odd games into your professional career! Have you had chance to process it all yet?
Its’s hard to do that when you’re playing because there’s always the next game to focus on. I probably haven’t had chance to take it all in yet and that will probably happen over the summer, when I’ll have more time to reflect.