Few League of Ireland players can boast a more interesting mid-season break than Dundalk’s Louie Annesley.
Well, perhaps the former Shelbourne goalkeeper Scott van der Sluis who is quickly making a name for himself on Love Island.
But his decision to pursue a shot to stardom on reality TV means his football career is on hold after Damien Duff released him.
Annesley, on the other hand, spent the last two weeks sharing a pitch with Kylian Mbappé and Antoine Griezmann, and Stephen Kenny’s Ireland team.
But the Gibraltar international’s window of opportunity is all the more impressive considering his shock battle with life-threatening sepsis only three months ago.
In that time, Annesley lost the use of his left leg and had to learn to walk again, so to play two Euro 2024 qualifiers this summer is remarkable.
“I came in from training one day and my groin seized up,” said the 23-year-old Englishman who joined Dundalk at the start of this season.
“The infection went to a weak area in my groin and hip and I couldn't walk. I was fine one day and couldn't walk the next.
“I went to hospital in Dublin and didn't leave for three-and-a-half weeks. It was crazy, so out of the blue. It took me two months to get back from it. It was a torrid time.”
Annesley, who has clocked up 37 caps for Gibraltar in just five years, continued: “Sepsis can be life threatening so I'm just grateful to be well again.
“The club looked after me so well and I'm grateful for that. I also had family over to visit quite a lot.
“I didn’t walk properly for the three weeks in hospital and had to regain that ability to walk again on the left leg.
“So to play in two internationals in the last week, and two club games before that, was ahead of schedule. I owe it to our physio Danny Miller who helped me so much.”
Annesley, a defender who can play in midfield, is a mainstay in Gibraltar’s team having qualified through his grandparents. His uncle is also their U19 goalkeeper coach.
He missed the March window, when they lost 3-0 to both Greece and Holland but returned for the respective 3-0 defeats to France and Ireland in recent days.
A regular starter, Annesley was eased back into the fold and came on for the last 30 minutes of that clash with World Cup finalists France in Faro.
Having missed 14 games in a row for Dundalk, he didn’t complain and was thrilled to be fast-tracked back into the mix to make it an awkward night for Mbappé and co.
The former Chelsea youth and Blackburn Rovers man was then handed a start against Ireland and played the full game, keeping the Boys in Green scoreless at the break.
He even denied James McClean a goal on his 100th cap with a well-timed block at close range during the second-half, when Ireland eventually broke free of their grasp.
Annesley said: “In the first-half we felt it was a game we could get something from, but Ireland changed shape and Mikey Johnston made a huge difference off the bench.
“They are the things we have to learn from. We’ve a young group, but so have Ireland and it’s a very different team from when I last played them in 2019.
“I don't think there was anyone on the pitch the other night from the game I started in three years ago (when Ireland won 1-0 in Gibraltar under Mick McCarthy).
“They are going through a shift in players. But they were young, quick, energetic and sharp in the second half.
“They ramped it up a gear and Johnston made a massive difference with his sharpness. We're both developing, but we're on our own path.”
While minnows Gibraltar lose the vast majority of their games, Annesley feels they are making progress as an international side.
He explained: “We're a developing nation but we're also at a stage where we're competing in every game.
“Unlike before when it was 'when will the first goal come' and that would be it.
“Now, we're trying to make it as hard as possible for teams but also have a slight threat on the counter attack which we know is not going to happen overnight.
“But we're working hard. Our coaching staff have done an unbelievable job to get us to where we are now.”
Annesley said: “We had Holland in our World Cup qualifying group too. I know Ireland’s game against them in September is going to be huge, and they’re still a top nation.
“I don’t want to say ‘declined’ but I do think they have dropped off a bit. They beat us 6-0 and 7-0 in the World Cup but only 3-0 in March - and we had 10 men.
“I feel that’s progress for us. We're only 10 years in UEFA and we're making huge steps but we know we've done nothing yet.
“We want to make a lot more ground from where we are. We're really keen to make more history for the country.”
For now, Annesley’s focus reverts to club football and making up for lost time with Dundalk who this week just happened to draw a Gibraltarian team in Europe.
Stephen O’Donnell’s Lilywhites will play FC Bruno’s Magpies in the Europa Conference League, with five of that squad on international duty with Annesley in recent days.
“Dundalk have a great history in Europe and I really want to be part of something like that and I’m excited for it,” he added.
“It’ll be good to go somewhere I’m familiar with but it’s all about the derby with Drogheda tonight and I owe it to the club for getting me back to this point.”
