- A future prospect who was groomed in Liverpool
Samuel Joseph David Durrant, commonly known as Sam Durrant in the sporting circuit is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for League of Ireland Premier Division side Dundalk.
Born in England, he is one of the most widely spoken young talents at the Sri Lanka national team. Sam is now a very well known sporting icon amongst the Lankan footballing community after the recently concluded games against Cambodia where Sri Lanka showed promising signs of bringing the island nation its long lost glory days in the people’s game.
Durrant played for both Everton and Liverpool youth teams and later joined Blackburn Rovers in 2018 on a two-year scholarship, and went to sign professional contracts being a youngster and played there till 2022 May. He joined Sheffield Wednesday (U21) in June 2022. He made the first team squad against Oxford United before making his Wednesday debut against Derby County on the final day of the season.
On 2 August 2023, Durrant signed for League of Ireland Premier Division club Dundalk. In March this year, Sam received his first call up to the Sri Lanka national team training. On 31 August 2024, he received a call-up from the Sri Lanka national team to face Cambodia in the 2027 AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers – play-off round.
In an exclusive interview with The Daily Morning Sam shared his life and times of growing up in the world of football.
Following are the excerpts from the interview:
Tell us about yourself, your childhood, and your family.
Hi, I am Sam Durrant. I grew up just outside of Liverpool playing football from as young as I can remember. My mum was born in Colombo and moved over to England at the age of 3. My dad was born and raised in England.
How did you get into football?
My dad got me into football playing with me in the garden and then taking me to training with my local team and that's where it all started.
Were you a Liverpool youth player? Can you tell us about that experience?
Yes I was a liverpool youth player from the age of 12-16, and it was a great experience playing with some of the best players in the country and given the best training/facilities etc
Which popular players did you meet while playing at Liverpool?
Curtis Jones was a year above me and i played with him many times and id say hes the ones who has kicked on and done the best in his career
Dundalk in Ireland is your home now. Tell us about your professional football career there.
Yes I moved over here in August 2023 and enjoyed my first season playing football and have learnt a lot about myself and the game
What are some unforgettable meetups or memories in your life
I met Coutinho whilst a youth player at Liverpool and he's my idol in football. I love the way he plays and try to take some of his attributes into my game
What major differences can you identify between European football and South Asian football?
In Europe the weather and climate allows for a higher press and higher intensity type of game whereas in South Asia you have to be clever with when to use your energy and it is more possession based trying to break teams down.
Can you share your journey to earning the Lankan national jersey?
Yes, the Sri Lanka Football Federation approached me last November as Dillon de Silva was able to contact me and from there on I have been able to obtain dual citizenship and be able to compete with the team towards our goals.
Are you enjoying playing for Sri Lanka?
Yes I loved the 2 weeks I last spent with the guys. It was a great experience. The group is really close like a family and I look forward to creating a brighter future for football for Sri Lanka with them.
We (Sri Lanka) achieved a historic win at the AFC Qualifier, and you scored a penalty. How did that feel?
It was an amazing match with a lot of twists and turns and it was amazing scoring the penalty to help the team. I feel it was a deserved win over the 2 legs against Cambodia.
You’ve gained new Dundalk fans from Sri Lanka. How does that make you feel?
It's good to see that Sri Lankan fans will support me wherever I am and it gives me more motivation to achieve higher to be better.
What are your future goals?
I want to reach the highest level possible that I can at club level. I'd love to play abroad in Europe and challenge myself there as it is more my type of the game and internationally I want to see Sri Lanka at the Asian Cup. I have the confidence that we can achieve this with the current Sri Lanka squad.
Who is your favourite player and role model
Favourite players are Coutinho and Messi. They are amazing players to watch and I learn a lot from them.
Talking about my role models, Jesus Christ and my father. My faith is the most important thing in my life so I look up to Christ and want to live my life to his will. Also my father, he inspires me everyday to achieve more and be the best version of me.
You’re now a superstar among Sri Lankan fans. Do you have any words for your fans and the young players who look up to you?
Yes, I want the Sri Lankan fans to know that we haven't stopped here, we are striving for more and are focussing on March when the next round of games are being played. We want to bring about enjoyable football to the fans and hope you can be with us on every step of our journey.
On one final note, what would you say to the youngsters, the future of our world?
To the young players, never give up even when you feel there is no hope. A door will always open for you so keep at it and enjoy the beautiful game.