Blackburn to Barcelona - Dolan's 'unbelievable' journey to Espanyol

Media caption,

'Never in my head did I think one day I'd be playing in Spain'

ByElizabeth Conway

Spanish football reporter

Content warning: This article contains discussion around suicide and mental health.

When Marcus Rashford lines up for Barcelona in their first La Liga game after the winter break, he may not be the only Englishman on the pitch.

Just five years ago, Tyrhys Dolan was playing for non-league side Clitheroe.

Now, aged 23, he is an integral part of an Espanyol team sitting fifth in the table.

On Saturday, he - like Rashford - will experience the intensity of the Catalan derby for the first time.

It is another step in a remarkable journey marked by multiple rejections, periods without a club, and dealing with the devastating loss of his best friend to suicide.

Here in Barcelona - the city he now calls home - he reflects on those experiences.

'Blackburn were like family'

By the time Dolan orders his coffee in Spanish, there is already a sense this move is about more than just adapting to a new league.

"I don't want to come here and my only takeaway being an improvement in my ability on the pitch," he says.

"I want to show the supporters that I'm really interested in the culture and the language, and I actually want to connect with them, so they understand me not just as a player but also as a person."

Dolan, who is from Broadheath in Greater Manchester, joined Espanyol in July after turning down a new contract at Blackburn. It was a difficult decision that brought an end to a five-year stay at Ewood Park.

Blackburn took in Dolan when he was without a team after being released by Preston, and the forward built deep bonds with team-mates, staff and supporters.

"They weren't just colleagues," he says. "They were family."

But Dolan knew sacrifices were necessary if he was to push himself further.

Moving to Spain is a leap few English players take - and joining Espanyol is even rarer. The last Briton to play for the club was former Everton midfielder Adrian Heath in 1988.

'I wanted to test myself against the best'

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption,

Dolan has been given several nicknames by Espanyol supporters, including 'MaraDolan' and 'Dolandinho'

When asked why he chose to join Espanyol, Dolan explains he found the club's history interesting - it was one of the first football clubs founded in Spain in 1900 - and he liked the passion of their fans, which he saw on videos his dad showed him.

"Obviously La Liga is one of the best leagues in the world and I can't really count how many people have gone from the Championship to La Liga," says Dolan.

"For me, that was a statement in itself - a reward for all the hard work I've done.

"I wanted to test myself against the best. And when you believe in yourself so much, you want to show the world what you can do. La Liga has the platform for me to show that."

Espanyol spent much of last season fighting against relegation - only surviving on the final day - but things are different this time around.

Dolan has featured in 16 of Espanyol's 17 games, starting 13 of them on the wing. They have won 10 times and are fifth, 13 points behind leaders Barcelona.

"It's been so positive," he says. "When the football's going well, everything feels good. You meet people in the street and it's all positivity. I'm just embracing all of it."

Dolan's self-belief is unwavering, but there is humility in the way he tells his story - perhaps shaped by a career path that has been anything but straightforward.

'It's been an unbelievable journey'

Five years ago, Dolan was playing seven leagues below England's top flight after academy spells at Manchester City, Burnley and Preston, where he signed a scholarship but did not secure a professional contract.

There were rejections, releases and long periods of uncertainty.

"It's been an unbelievable journey," he says. "I'm proud of all the obstacles I've overcome.

"I think it makes the outcome sweeter when you've had to go the harder route through non-league. You'd come in at half-time and players would be eating Haribos for energy... it's completely different now."

Behind that resilience is a strong family bond, and Dolan says leaving them was one of the hardest parts of his decision to join Espanyol.

"I'm such a family person and I knew it was a big sacrifice that I had to make," he says.

"But I'm just happy that I'm making everyone proud and they're buzzing to see the situation I'm in now."

'The most heartbreaking moment of my life'

Image caption,

Dolan says one of the hardest things about leaving Blackburn was knowing he wouldn't be able to visit Jeremy at the cemetery every Sunday

That support extends to a friendship that continues to shape him.

Dolan grew up alongside Jeremy Wisten - a team-mate and close friend from his academy years.

"He was the best person you could meet and we did everything together," says Dolan.

"I knew how much football meant to him and what it did for his soul. He lived and breathed football."

Wisten and Dolan were seeking scholarships at the same time, but Wisten struggled with injuries and was released by Manchester City.

"It was a crucial time and you needed to be consistently playing," says Dolan.

"Jeremy kind of knew himself at Manchester City that he wasn't really going to get a scholarship but he just struggled after that."

Wisten was 18 when he took his own life at his family home in 2020 - less than two years after the club let him go.

"I think for him it was facing the world knowing that he didn't have that logo of a footballer," says Dolan.

"When you're younger, people don't even say your name. They say 'oh, there's the footballer Tyrhys' or 'there's the footballer Jeremy'. You're not just a human, you're a player.

"And once you strip that back, you think 'well if I'm not that, then who am I?'

"It must have been really tough for him because I know a lot of people around him were doing really well in terms of football, getting the scholarships, getting pro contracts, making debuts - me being one of them.

"It's difficult to see when someone's hurting so much and you're achieving the thing that they want. It was the most heartbreaking moment of my life."

In Wisten's honour, Dolan wears the number 24 at Espanyol. When he discovered it was one of only two available squad numbers, he felt it was more than coincidence as it was the date his close friend had died.

"He's with me," says Dolan. "He's achieved his dream. He's made it because he's on the pitch just like I am."

Wisten's death led Dolan to become an ambassador for the Go Again charity, which supports young footballers dealing with the emotional impact of being released from academies.

Having lived that experience, he wants to offer reassurance and perspective.

"What's a few minutes of my day?" he says. "It can last a lifetime for them."

'A boy from Broadheath at the Bernabeu'

Life in Spain has brought new challenges for Dolan.

"The knowledge you've got to have going on the pitch and how much you need to remember is so different," he says.

"All the set-pieces, the different routines you've got to do. You've got to remember eight different sequences. I'm always thinking 'I don't want to mess this up'.

"It's been a real eye-opener. It makes you realise you're not the finished article."

Dolan has already had some unforgettable moments.

Playing at the Bernabeu against Real Madrid was not just a personal milestone, but something he felt he shared with everyone he knew.

"A boy from Broadheath at the Bernabeu," he says, smiling.

And now comes another landmark - the Catalan derby, one of the fiercest fixtures in Spanish football.

Dolan can sense the anticipation building.

"They say you feel it even in the warm-up," he says. "It's going to be very special."

And he will not be alone at the RCDE Stadium. His dad has been busy fielding ticket requests from friends and family.

"At the minute, it's looking like we've got about 25 people coming over," he says.

"I'm going to have to try and pull something out of the bag. Half the flight will be everyone from Broadheath - it'll basically be a Mancunian flight!"