The former Ireland and Premier League star going back to his roots with GAA chasing All-Irelands
Some 25 years ago, the 18-year-old was thrown into his Premier League debut against the likes of Davor Suker, Frank Lampard and Michael Carrick
Twenty-five years ago on Halloween night, Blackburn Rovers found themselves in a tough spot. They were playing an away game against West Ham in the League Cup and had fallen behind due to a Davor Suker goal in the second half. Blackburn's manager, Graeme Souness, was far from pleased and decided to bring on an 18 year old lad from Monaghan. This marked the professional debut of Jonathan Douglas, who found himself up against Frank Lampard and Michael Carrick in West Ham's midfield.
Despite Paolo Di Canio extending the Hammers' lead to 2-0, this was just the beginning for Douglas. Just two years prior, he was part of Brian Kerr's squad - alongside Andy Reid, John O'Shea and Liam Miller - that clinched the European Under-16 Championships in Scotland. The team had a reunion last month at the Castleknock Hotel.
Douglas went on to play 16 times in the Premier League for Blackburn, before enjoying a lengthy career in English football with notable stints at Leeds United, Swindon Town, Brentford and Ipswich Town, reports the Irish Mirror. Now aged 43, Douglas is still involved in football, but it's Gaelic football where he's currently making his mark. Last month, he scored a crucial penalty as London triumphed over Limerick by three points in the Masters All-Ireland Challenge Cup final.
"I'm back at home now playing Junior B with Clones. Really enjoying it. I'm probably double the age of most of the lads. It's nice to challenge yourself against the young boys coming through. It's tough but really enjoyable. It keeps me active, as much as anything else,'' he said. "For the London Masters, I play in midfield. With Clones, I'm usually in the half-forward line."
"My last game of Gaelic before I went to England was a minor game for Monaghan. Then, about 12 or 13 years after that, I was at home one summer on holiday and I played a game for the Clones Junior Bs.
"That was the first time I'd played since I was a teenager. Sometimes I'd mess about in training with other Irish lads but never played a proper game.
"It was the summer of 2011. I'd just finished up with Swindon Town. It was before I signed for Brentford. I had a few weeks at home, trained with Clones to keep my fitness ticking over and played one game. Once I went to Brentford, I had to hang up the gloves for a while.''
Go back 20 years ago and Douglas scored a dramatic late equaliser for Leeds that gave them a 3-3 draw with Brighton. But goalscoring wasn't a big part of his game. Still, there was something inevitable about London trusting him with penalties.
"I took a few penalties in shoot-outs during my professional career., that was it. I was never a designated penalty taker. I actually scored a goal from a penalty in the semi-final too against Laois,'' said Douglas.
"It's this thing that, if you're a former professional footballer going to GAA, everybody expects you have the skill to take a penalty.''
Douglas spent a few years working as an agent and has now moved on to scouting, travelling across Europe to look at players.
He's dabbling in management too. During his playing career, he took the UEFA B licence and is now in charge of Clones Town with their season set to start next month. He fully intends to combine his love of soccer and Gaelic football for as long as he can.
"I've done four years with the London Masters. We got to a final in our section every year, winning two of them, so it's been a great experience,'' he said.
"It's something the GAA should really get behind. I've always been involved in sport but I'm not a great man for going to the gym on my own or running the roads. I find it quite boring. To stay in a team environment is much more enjoyable.
"You look around now and you've had Stephen O'Neill and Sean Cavanagh playing for Tyrone. Dublin had Bernard Brogan as captain. Marty McGrath won an All Star with Fermanagh - he's played Masters football.
"It is getting better and the sooner the GAA help us out a bit more, the better. Look at what the likes of Cavanagh and Brogan have done for the GAA over the years. It's only right that the GAA should help out.''
Douglas won eight senior caps for Ireland under Brian Kerr and Steve Staunton. In both of the campaigns where he was capped, the manager was pushed out the exit door at the end. There was plenty of heat on the players so Douglas feels for the current bunch who are in the firing line.
"It is challenging. We had some good results when I was playing but others that weren't great. People jump on the bandwagon and have their say. I always has this thing about not worrying about criticism from anyone you wouldn't take advice from. I always had that in the back of my mind,'' he said.
"Nowadays, it's 100 times worse because of social media. Back then, we didn't have any social media, which was probably a good thing. Nowadays, criticism is everywhere.
"The players just have to stick together and get behind he manager and the coaching staff. You have John O'Shea and Paddy McCarthy there, two Irishmen that know all about it. So it's just a case of sticking together. Go and beat Portugal and everything is forgotten about. It's important to stay positive and trust in the process and stick together.
"When I was an agent, I watched a lot of the Under-19 and Under-21 games. They often played very well and there were good players there. Taking the step up isn't easy but there is a core of good young lads coming through.''
From his time as an agent, Douglas is well aware of how hard it is now for young Irish players to get moves to England due to the impact of Brexit, and he echoes the view of everyone in the game here that money has to be pumped in.
"There's definitely investment needed. Just look at some of the grounds around Ireland. I was in Dundalk a few months ago. My nephew was training there and the facilities...it's not that long ago that they were in Europe and playing against some of the big clubs in the world. You just go up there and...it's not great. Investment is needed,'' he said.
"Back in my time, English clubs would take punts on Irish lads, bringing over six or seven at once. That's all stopped now.
"But there are good young boys who've gone to the likes of Germany and Italy and are progressing. There are young lads coming through. The likes of Mason Melia, who will be going to Spurs from St Pat's. But it's a massive step up from the Ireland Under-21s to the senior team.
"I do think there's good coaching going on here, good academies. The League of Ireland has really benefited from younger boys staying in Ireland for longer but the game definitely needs money pumped into it.