O'Hara: I've come of age
A celebrity fiancee, magazine shoots and the adulation of being a Premier League footballer: Jamie O'Hara has got the lot.
But it's taken the onset of fatherhood and the soap opera that is Portsmouth Football Club to make the 25-year-old a man.
A rollercoaster season at Fratton Park has been the making of the midfielder.
O'Hara has seen the pain of Pompey's staff losing their jobs, with 85 people made redundant last week after the club went into administration.
That has had an impact on the player with the reality of the club's plight biting.
Now he is ready to complete the moulding of his character when his model partner Danielle Lloyd gives birth to their first child this summer.
That means the wild nights out in London will be a thing of the past for the on-loan Pompey man.
O'Hara said: 'Since I've found out I'm gonna be a dad it's an unbelievable feeling.
'It has already made me grow up a lot.'
'The baby is due in July. I've got to get my sleep in now, as it will be sleep deprivation time soon, but I can't wait. I can't wait to be a dad,' said O'Hara.
'Now I've settled down a lot whereas before I used to go out a bit too much, as you do when you're young,
'Now I feel I'm settled and concentrating a lot on my football and then going home and looking after my girlfriend .
'It's made me grow up as a person. I think it's already benefited me .
'When you're young and single you go out, it's easy to go out with your mates and have a few drinks – and you're entitled to do so when you're young.
'But now I have got a family on the way, I have to look after that family. It's already made me more responsible and grown up as a person.
'It has already settled me down as a person and I am still concentrating on my football.
'You become a man overnight once you're expecting a baby and it has really made me grow up already.
'I've always had mad up-and-down seasons since I was a kid, whether it's injuries or things in my life, losing my mother. I've always had ups and downs.
'Hopefully now this season has been a fantastic season for me and a stepping stone to becoming established as a Premier League player.
'Obviously I've had a fantastic season on a personal note and it has made me mentally stronger.
'I've had to deal with a lot and I do feel like I've grown up going to a club that obviously has had a lot of turmoil. It has helped me grow up.
'I feel a lot more of a man now, a more established human being.'
O'Hara's form has seen him become a firm favourite with the Fratton faithful.
His dynamic displays provided a bright note in what has largely been a dark Pompey campaign.
He now looks set to return to Spurs in the summer and then find out what the future holds for him.
O'Hara has had time to work out what Pompey is all about and he admitted that has seen him build a real affinity with the club.
So to see so many people, people who are friends, lose their job has troubled him.
O'Hara is now intent in signing off with a bang by delivering in Pompey's return to Wembley in the FA Cup semi-final.
He needs Spurs to fall against Fulham to be available for that game but the Londoner isn't intent on just having the day out at the home of football.
O'Hara wants to deliver a bigger fillip to thank those who have been hurt by Pompey's plight.
He said: 'It's been a difficult time for the club.
'But I think everyone involved has been fantastic.
'It is sad to see people go. The players don't really suffer, we still get paid and get to play each week.
'It's the people like the masseurs and the tea lady that will suffer in the long run. That's what happens with administration.
'I've had a fantastic time here this season, though.
'The Portsmouth fans have been absolutely brilliant along with everyone at the club and I've really enjoyed it.
'I'm going to have to sit down in the summer, have a chat with the gaffer now and find out what he wants from me.
'If he feels it's time for me to move on then hopefully I've done enough this season for a few clubs to be interested.
'I feel like I've done enough this season to be playing in the Premier League next season.
'I'm going to miss the club a lot. This is the first season where I've been playing every game and felt a big part of the team.
'I'm a part of everything in a way so I'm going to miss the club.
'But I'm sure I'll keep in touch with everyone and it will be a shame to see the club go down.
'If the club could start again and grow up from the beginning, hopefully it will come back.
'It would be a nice farewell to win the FA Cup wouldn't it?
'It would be mad to win the FA Cup at Wembley and get relegated. It's crazy – but that's Pompey isn't it?'
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Weather for Portsmouth
Sunday 12 February 2012
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