Interview with Finn Azaz in the Athletic
- Thread starter TeaCider
- Start date
Corcaigh_the_Cat
Well-known member
He looks a good footballer, just needs to settle in and for Carrick to use his skills properly.
jeff_potato
Well-known member
Finn Azaz sits upright on the sofa and takes a moment to think about what he is going to say.
“His name was Matt Avery,” he says. “He wasn’t old. I met Matt’s family, his wife and kids. I went to his house and got to know the family. He was at St Luke’s and was ill. We became friends.”
Azaz is just over two months into life at Middlesbrough having left Aston Villa to find permanency. His house is close to the training ground and while the lounge is relatively bare, waiting for additional furniture and homely touches to be applied, the 23-year-old rarely tends to have a day off.
In moving to Teesside, Azaz is now a long way from Plymouth Argyle, his home for 18 months.
Azaz’s loan was an undoubted success. He struck a unique connection with then-manager Steven Schumacher and the supporters, developing into a well-balanced, effective midfielder.
On a more profound level and given a wider perspective, Azaz’s efforts off the pitch far outweighed anything he could achieve on it. In January, only once he had left Plymouth, Azaz posted on Instagram and revealed that he had been volunteering at St Luke’s Hospice, a specialist end-of-life and palliative care service in the local area. In that time, he got to know the most courageous people he could come across, forging close bonds and adopting a new lens to life.
“I wasn’t doing it for the publicity,” he says. “I didn’t want it to become that. Only after I left, I decided I wanted to raise more awareness for St. Luke’s. The first time I went, I was in corporate meetings about the profits from the last year and I was like, ‘What am I doing here?’.
“I spoke with the head of fundraising, Penny Hannah, and the chief nurse, Debbie Hutchinson. Debbie was the master of speaking to people. It didn’t matter how poorly they were, she would be able to speak amazingly. I learned from her. I said to St Luke’s I was happy to speak to people, which they were surprised with because a lot of people would feel awkward doing that.”
On Wednesdays most weeks, Azaz volunteered at St Luke’s and helped staff however he could. He would make lanyards, fundraise, drive the drinks trolley (sometimes giving out alcoholic beverages) and, most importantly of all, get to know patients. Each conversation was different; Azaz recalls talking to a man called Scotty, who detailed his experience of working in the Royal Navy. Others reminisced about the state of Argyle in the 1960s.
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The hospice resonated with Azaz, whose reasons behind wanting to volunteer were, in part, influenced by the passing of his grandmother, Yaffa, last February.
“Penny gave a speech about what St Luke’s is and I realised this was a sign I had to help,” says Azaz. “My grandmother wasn’t in a hospice, but with the district nurses, which is similar. They allowed her to die at home. The impact that decision had can’t even be put into words.”
Azaz wanted to do something useful with the team’s scheduled day off in the middle of the week. He wanted to channel his energy into a meaningful project. He asked Ellen Shine, Plymouth’s assistant club secretary and player liaison officer, whom he warmly calls “the fixer”, if he could contribute to a local charity. St Luke’s appealed given its relationship with the club after Argyle legend and Radio Devon presenter Gordon Sparks was treated there.
“I didn’t know what it was going to be,” Azaz says. “I just wanted to make an impact off the pitch. I had the day off, so why not?
“It was my mum’s idea because I’d spoken about it and she pushed me to come out of my comfort zone. I wondered if I could give money, but my mum told me that if I gave my time, that would be even more impactful than any money. I will give money in the future, but giving time is something special.”
Emotionally, volunteering at the hospice challenged Azaz. He had become friends with Matt Avery, who was first diagnosed with a rare form of cancer — GIST or gastrointestinal stromal tumours — when he was 31, back in 2009. In January 2023, doctors told Matt there was no more they could do. Matt passed away at the start of this year.
Azaz first met Matt during visits to St Luke’s. Matt was a fervent Argyle supporter and was known within the local community. The pair would spend mornings talking football — Azaz’s initial 20-minute visit to Matt’s room ended up being an hour and a half.
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“I built the ability to interact with my grandma, who was on her deathbed,” says Azaz. “I interacted with her in the right way. It’s tough to speak to someone because you don’t want to be awkward and they don’t want pity. They want to be treated just normally.”
With Matt’s health deteriorating, chief nurse Debbie arranged tickets for Argyle’s match against Middlesbrough in November. Azaz knew Matt’s six-year-old son, Harrison, was an Argyle fan and a budding footballer, so organised for him to be his mascot for the game. Azaz walked out with Harrison, donning a new Argyle kit, while his sisters were introduced to the players. It was an experience, Azaz says, that was special for him and Matt.
Azaz with the nurses at St Luke’s (St Luke’s Hospice)
“It just felt right,” he says, smiling. “I still have a relationship with Matt’s family after he passed away. I just think people in a hospice feel grateful someone is there to talk to. But even Debbie would struggle emotionally because she had developed relationships with people and their families. Although you’re in a hospice and you have to understand what comes with that, it does become hard.”
In Middlesbrough, volunteering has already been considered, but his focus is on settling at his new club. Azaz lives on his own, with his girlfriend visiting on the weekends, and is near manager Michael Carrick.
“I was sad to leave Plymouth,” he says. “But Middlesbrough looked like a perfect fit with the manager, the fanbase and the direction they wanted to go. That was the next step for me.”
Azaz played a key role in Plymouth’s promotion to the Championship (George Wood/Getty Images)
The midfielder’s upbringing has undoubtedly influenced his virtues. Raised in a multicultural environment and a predominately matriarchal family, his grandmother the figurehead, Azaz mostly lived in the Midlands, with his mother’s side Israeli and his father possessing Irish heritage.
Azaz’s diverse background meant an international juncture in deciding what country to represent has been in the background. He could have played for Israel but received a first senior call-up from the Republic of Ireland — he has a solitary cap for the under-21s in 2022 — for this round of international fixtures.
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He will hope to be handed a debut against Belgium (on Saturday) or Switzerland (on Tuesday) and take his Championship form to a bigger stage. Carrick views Azaz as a player with balance and an intelligent positional understanding, adept at playing across multiple positions. In seven Championship starts for his new club, Azaz has been deployed in four different roles.
Permanent residence has provided clarity in Azaz’s career, having failed to make an appearance for Villa after joining from West Bromwich Albion in 2021. Two and a half years on loan ensued, initially educational but then proving a sign of increased frustration at not being given the opportunity to impress.
Before pre-season, Azaz had been told he would train under head coach Unai Emery. In the end, however, he never spoke to Emery and was omitted from Villa’s tour of the United States.
Instead, Villa sanctioned a second season-long loan to Argyle but under the condition he would be sold midway through. It was explained that good form in Devon would generate sufficient interest to materialise a permanent transfer. Middlesbrough took a keen interest.
“Having watched him (Carrick) growing up, he’s very similar in style in management in the way he played,” says Azaz. “He’s very calm and collected. He chooses his words carefully and although the tactics change from game to game, the style is to dominate.”
This is the third successive season Azaz has registered 15 or more goal involvements. His ambition is to play in the Champions League one day, but his grounded nature has offered a unique perspective to life outside of football, where he remains similarly intent on making an impact.
“I’m going to focus on settling in on the football side,” Azaz reflects. “But then I’ll look at what I can do because I know there’s a hospice near me. There are charities I will definitely do some valuable work with and aim to make a similar difference.”
(Top photo: Azaz in action for Middlesbrough and with Matt Avery; by Getty Images/St Luke’s Hospice)
“His name was Matt Avery,” he says. “He wasn’t old. I met Matt’s family, his wife and kids. I went to his house and got to know the family. He was at St Luke’s and was ill. We became friends.”
Azaz is just over two months into life at Middlesbrough having left Aston Villa to find permanency. His house is close to the training ground and while the lounge is relatively bare, waiting for additional furniture and homely touches to be applied, the 23-year-old rarely tends to have a day off.
In moving to Teesside, Azaz is now a long way from Plymouth Argyle, his home for 18 months.
Azaz’s loan was an undoubted success. He struck a unique connection with then-manager Steven Schumacher and the supporters, developing into a well-balanced, effective midfielder.
On a more profound level and given a wider perspective, Azaz’s efforts off the pitch far outweighed anything he could achieve on it. In January, only once he had left Plymouth, Azaz posted on Instagram and revealed that he had been volunteering at St Luke’s Hospice, a specialist end-of-life and palliative care service in the local area. In that time, he got to know the most courageous people he could come across, forging close bonds and adopting a new lens to life.
“I wasn’t doing it for the publicity,” he says. “I didn’t want it to become that. Only after I left, I decided I wanted to raise more awareness for St. Luke’s. The first time I went, I was in corporate meetings about the profits from the last year and I was like, ‘What am I doing here?’.
“I spoke with the head of fundraising, Penny Hannah, and the chief nurse, Debbie Hutchinson. Debbie was the master of speaking to people. It didn’t matter how poorly they were, she would be able to speak amazingly. I learned from her. I said to St Luke’s I was happy to speak to people, which they were surprised with because a lot of people would feel awkward doing that.”
On Wednesdays most weeks, Azaz volunteered at St Luke’s and helped staff however he could. He would make lanyards, fundraise, drive the drinks trolley (sometimes giving out alcoholic beverages) and, most importantly of all, get to know patients. Each conversation was different; Azaz recalls talking to a man called Scotty, who detailed his experience of working in the Royal Navy. Others reminisced about the state of Argyle in the 1960s.
ADVERTISEMENT
The hospice resonated with Azaz, whose reasons behind wanting to volunteer were, in part, influenced by the passing of his grandmother, Yaffa, last February.
“Penny gave a speech about what St Luke’s is and I realised this was a sign I had to help,” says Azaz. “My grandmother wasn’t in a hospice, but with the district nurses, which is similar. They allowed her to die at home. The impact that decision had can’t even be put into words.”
Azaz wanted to do something useful with the team’s scheduled day off in the middle of the week. He wanted to channel his energy into a meaningful project. He asked Ellen Shine, Plymouth’s assistant club secretary and player liaison officer, whom he warmly calls “the fixer”, if he could contribute to a local charity. St Luke’s appealed given its relationship with the club after Argyle legend and Radio Devon presenter Gordon Sparks was treated there.
“I didn’t know what it was going to be,” Azaz says. “I just wanted to make an impact off the pitch. I had the day off, so why not?
“It was my mum’s idea because I’d spoken about it and she pushed me to come out of my comfort zone. I wondered if I could give money, but my mum told me that if I gave my time, that would be even more impactful than any money. I will give money in the future, but giving time is something special.”
Emotionally, volunteering at the hospice challenged Azaz. He had become friends with Matt Avery, who was first diagnosed with a rare form of cancer — GIST or gastrointestinal stromal tumours — when he was 31, back in 2009. In January 2023, doctors told Matt there was no more they could do. Matt passed away at the start of this year.
Azaz first met Matt during visits to St Luke’s. Matt was a fervent Argyle supporter and was known within the local community. The pair would spend mornings talking football — Azaz’s initial 20-minute visit to Matt’s room ended up being an hour and a half.
ADVERTISEMENT
“I built the ability to interact with my grandma, who was on her deathbed,” says Azaz. “I interacted with her in the right way. It’s tough to speak to someone because you don’t want to be awkward and they don’t want pity. They want to be treated just normally.”
With Matt’s health deteriorating, chief nurse Debbie arranged tickets for Argyle’s match against Middlesbrough in November. Azaz knew Matt’s six-year-old son, Harrison, was an Argyle fan and a budding footballer, so organised for him to be his mascot for the game. Azaz walked out with Harrison, donning a new Argyle kit, while his sisters were introduced to the players. It was an experience, Azaz says, that was special for him and Matt.
Azaz with the nurses at St Luke’s (St Luke’s Hospice)
“It just felt right,” he says, smiling. “I still have a relationship with Matt’s family after he passed away. I just think people in a hospice feel grateful someone is there to talk to. But even Debbie would struggle emotionally because she had developed relationships with people and their families. Although you’re in a hospice and you have to understand what comes with that, it does become hard.”
In Middlesbrough, volunteering has already been considered, but his focus is on settling at his new club. Azaz lives on his own, with his girlfriend visiting on the weekends, and is near manager Michael Carrick.
“I was sad to leave Plymouth,” he says. “But Middlesbrough looked like a perfect fit with the manager, the fanbase and the direction they wanted to go. That was the next step for me.”
Azaz played a key role in Plymouth’s promotion to the Championship (George Wood/Getty Images)
The midfielder’s upbringing has undoubtedly influenced his virtues. Raised in a multicultural environment and a predominately matriarchal family, his grandmother the figurehead, Azaz mostly lived in the Midlands, with his mother’s side Israeli and his father possessing Irish heritage.
Azaz’s diverse background meant an international juncture in deciding what country to represent has been in the background. He could have played for Israel but received a first senior call-up from the Republic of Ireland — he has a solitary cap for the under-21s in 2022 — for this round of international fixtures.
ADVERTISEMENT
He will hope to be handed a debut against Belgium (on Saturday) or Switzerland (on Tuesday) and take his Championship form to a bigger stage. Carrick views Azaz as a player with balance and an intelligent positional understanding, adept at playing across multiple positions. In seven Championship starts for his new club, Azaz has been deployed in four different roles.
Permanent residence has provided clarity in Azaz’s career, having failed to make an appearance for Villa after joining from West Bromwich Albion in 2021. Two and a half years on loan ensued, initially educational but then proving a sign of increased frustration at not being given the opportunity to impress.
Before pre-season, Azaz had been told he would train under head coach Unai Emery. In the end, however, he never spoke to Emery and was omitted from Villa’s tour of the United States.
Instead, Villa sanctioned a second season-long loan to Argyle but under the condition he would be sold midway through. It was explained that good form in Devon would generate sufficient interest to materialise a permanent transfer. Middlesbrough took a keen interest.
“Having watched him (Carrick) growing up, he’s very similar in style in management in the way he played,” says Azaz. “He’s very calm and collected. He chooses his words carefully and although the tactics change from game to game, the style is to dominate.”
This is the third successive season Azaz has registered 15 or more goal involvements. His ambition is to play in the Champions League one day, but his grounded nature has offered a unique perspective to life outside of football, where he remains similarly intent on making an impact.
“I’m going to focus on settling in on the football side,” Azaz reflects. “But then I’ll look at what I can do because I know there’s a hospice near me. There are charities I will definitely do some valuable work with and aim to make a similar difference.”
(Top photo: Azaz in action for Middlesbrough and with Matt Avery; by Getty Images/St Luke’s Hospice)
Juninhoburger
Well-known member
So his second loan to Plymouth was only for half a season and he was always being sold? I'm guessing Plymouth knew that and just didn't make the fans aware?
theredrooster
Well-known member
Shows that many of the top clubs are signing or retaining players purely to generate income and not just to find for the first team. Seems quite cynical, but I suppose it makes good business sense.
Chelsea were doing it for years with their mass of players out on loan who were sold on without ever playing for the club. It's especially cold telling a player and the club concerned that they are only being loaned with the intention of increasing their value for sale, but I suppose an alternative view is they are just being honest and up front with them.
I suppose also Villa knew they were sailing close to FFP and had to off load this season - which part explains the sales with buy back clauses of Ramsay and Archer.