Dan Gargan joined
the Chicago Fire last Thursday from Toronto in a trade which saw longtime Fire
defender Dasan Robinson go the other way. Now with a few training sessions
under his belt, Team Writer Jeff Crandall spoke to the new Fire defender about
the move, how things are going in Chicago, his short retirement from the game in 2008 and the significance behind some of his body ink.
Jeff Crandall: Being traded is never fun
but you’ve come here, how do you like your new city so far?
Dan Gargan: I
love Chicago. It’s always been one of my favorite cities to come to on the
road. To be coming here and living here, I’m excited about it.
JC: How do you
feel about the team atmosphere compared to Toronto?
DG: Compared with Toronto it’s refreshing. It feels
revitalizing. I’m really excited to be here. It’s a complete change… The
dynamic is a lot different both in the locker room and on the field. Training
here is a lot different: it’s a lot more intense, a lot harder here. The vibe
is a lot more positive. Everything was really negative in Toronto which
obviously didn’t translate well.
JC: Early last
week reports came about that TFC had told you to clean out your locker even
though a trade hadn’t gone through. Talk about the situation…
DG: They had told me that they were trying to move me at
that point in time I hadn’t really felt finished yet so they were in the middle
of a few games there and they said that they only wanted the guys that they
were moving forward with in training.
JC: You retired from
Chivas USA in 2008 before returning to the game the next season with the Puerto
Rico Islanders. Talk about what led you to that decision…
DG: I had some personal issues that I needed to work out.
It was important for me, those things came first in my life. At that time I
needed to figure out those situations and it was important for me to step away
from the game. Obviously this game has given a lot to me, and when I had that
stuff sorted out I certainly wanted to come back. I felt like I still had a lot
to offer. I still enjoyed doing it. Unfortunately the situation with Chivas
they had filled out their roster and I had to wait and play a year in the USL.
All those things happen for a reason, and it’s brought me to have a few good
years in Toronto and now hopefully a few more here in Chicago.
JC: You and your
fellow Philadelphian Jon Conway played together in Toronto. Could you talk
about your friendship with Jon?
DG: There’s always, at least from the Philly guys I known
outside of Philadelphia, there’s a certain form of common understanding,
sarcasm a kind of found within all of us. It’s good to have him around, and
brought me right in with the team, which is nice.
JC: You join a
long list of Fire players with some ink. You’ve got a visible tattoo with an
eagle and some stars on your right forearm. Could you talk about the
significance?
DG: It’s a work in progress. Not done yet. I have an angel
on my side, in honor of my best friend who passed away when we were 19. We grew
up together and he was really heavily tattooed and that’s where it started
from. I wanted to do something in honor of him. And this one is more of a
personal thing. I guess it spawned from a Chicago guy, Michael Jordan, I had
his wings poster over my bed from when I was a little guy (four or five) and
the quote underneath is a William Blake quote “No bird soars too high if he flies
on his own wings.”
That’s kind of where it spawned from and a reminder to
myself to believe in myself and go where the wind takes you.
JC: For Fire fans
unfamiliar with you, could you describe yourself as a player? What are your
strengths?
DG: I’m a strong defender, I’m an honest player. I like to
play both sides of the ball. I like to get forward. I certainly like to get
stuck in the back as well. I’d say that I’m pretty good in the air and I’ve got
some pace. I like to have a well rounded game. I think that’s shown with some
of the coaches that I’ve played for. They’ve had faith, and trust in me,
playing me in a lot of different positions on the field. It’s certainly
something that I think is a part of my game, but at the same time I enjoy getting
settled into one position and sharpening up those nuances of that spot.
Jeff Crandall is the Team Writer for the Chicago Fire. Follow him on Twitter @JefeCrandall.
