Just five years ago, Tyrhys Dolan was playing non-league football for Clitheroe. Today, the 23-year-old is a regular starter for Espanyol and preparing for his first Catalan derby against Barcelona.
Dolan joined the La Liga side in July after turning down a new contract at Blackburn Rovers, ending a five-year spell at Ewood Park. The move marked a rare step for an English player, with Dolan becoming the first Briton to represent Espanyol since Adrian Heath in 1988, according to BBC Sport.
More than football
“I don’t want to come here and my only takeaway be an improvement on the pitch,” Dolan said. “I want the supporters to understand me not just as a player but also as a person,” as quoted by BBC Sport.
Released by Preston as a teenager, Dolan rebuilt his career after Blackburn offered him a chance when he was without a club. “They weren’t just colleagues. They were family,” he said, according to BBC Sport.
Despite the emotional pull, Dolan felt the need to challenge himself. “La Liga is one of the best leagues in the world,” he said. “I wanted to test myself against the best,” as quoted by BBC Sport.
From non-league to La Liga
Dolan’s path has included academy spells at Manchester City, Burnley and Preston, followed by rejection and uncertainty. Five years ago, he was playing seven divisions below the Premier League.
“It’s been an unbelievable journey,” Dolan said. “I think it makes the outcome sweeter when you’ve had to go the harder route,” according to BBC Sport.
This season, he has featured in 16 of Espanyol’s 17 league games, helping the club climb to fifth in the table after narrowly avoiding relegation last year, as reported by BBC Sport.
Personal tragedy and purpose
Behind Dolan’s resilience lies personal loss. His close friend and former team-mate Jeremy Wisten died by suicide in 2020 after being released by Manchester City.
“It was the most heartbreaking moment of my life,” Dolan said, explaining how losing football left Wisten struggling with identity, according to BBC Sport.
In Wisten’s memory, Dolan wears the number 24 at Espanyol and has become an ambassador for the Go Again charity, which supports young players released from academies.
“What’s a few minutes of my day?” Dolan said. “It can last a lifetime for them,” as quoted by BBC Sport.
Living the dream
Dolan has already played at the Bernabeu against Real Madrid and now prepares for the intensity of the Catalan derby.
“A boy from Broadheath at the Bernabeu,” he said. “Now this derby is going to be very special,” according to BBC Sport.
With around 25 friends and family travelling from England to watch him, Dolan’s journey from non-league pitches to Spanish football’s biggest stage is one he describes simply as “unbelievable”, as reported by BBC Sport.
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