Teenage on-loan Ebbsfleet United defender Tommy Fogarty on what club’s ex-manager Liam Daish told him about the club, playing National League football and representing Northern Ireland under-21s

Tommy Fogarty has explained what former Ebbsfleet boss Liam Daish told him about the club ahead of joining on loan.

The teenage Birmingham defender joined the Fleet until the end of the season in January.

Daish, himself a defender in his playing days, is now Birmingham’s Academy manager and won the FA Trophy in 2008 during eight years in charge of the Stonebridge Road side.

The 19-year-old said: “He (Daish) told me he was manager here for eight years.

“He got them to Wembley and just said, if I give 100 percent, the fans will take to me. I think they have.

“They clearly love him, as well. I remember the first time I was warming up someone told me to tell him he’s the best manager they have had here.

“I don’t think I have told him that - but maybe he will see this!”

Daish, who has also managed Nuneaton, joined Birmingham’s Academy in November 2022.

Fogarty said: “You might not always see him, he might not always take sessions, but he does work closely with the defenders. He has worked closely with me since he came in.

“He’s taught me a lot about how to improve, really, especially defensively. I didn’t get to see him play but I heard he was a very rough and aggressive defender.

“That’s what he likes in defenders. He has helped me a lot.

“He gave me a debrief on Ebbsfleet before I came. I cannot speak highly enough about him.”

Fogarty was called up by Northern Ireland under-21s for this month’s international games, coming off the bench as they won 2-1 at Serbia on Tuesday and also came on in a 3-0 loss to Czech Republic last Thursday.

“There’s a lot of travelling,” explained Fogarty, who returned for Ebbsfleet for Easter Friday’s 1-1 National League home draw with Southend.

“Two different countries - Czech Republic and