IT WAS a strange experience that Paudie O’Connor will not be in a hurry to live through again.

Having arrived at Valley Parade as the first of David Hopkin’s signings in the January transfer window, the Irishman found himself the odd man out for almost three months.

After a 45-minute debut at Barnsley when the former City boss had experimented with playing three centre-halves, a tactic he abandoned at half-time, O’Connor was suddenly marooned on the sidelines.

He barely made the bench after that as the innocent victim of the muddled policy of having too many loan players to be allowed to include them all in a match-day squad.

It was a situation Gary Bowyer has vowed will never happen again – and O’Connor’s permanent signature during the summer meant he does not have to worry anyway.

But his lengthy exile from first-team involvement, not regaining his spot until the trip to Charlton at the end of March, gave the young defender a taste of how tough it can become being out the picture.

It has provided him with some empathy for Anthony O’Connor, who was benched last week against Northampton to make way for Paudie and the formation change reverting to a flat back four.

Being relatively close “neighbours” from Ireland also helps.

Paudie is a Limerick lad while his namesake hails from Cork, an hour and a half away.

“We all get on well with each other,” said Paudie O’Connor of the ‘centre halves union’ at Valley Parade.

“Ant comes from down the road from me back in Ireland as well so we get on well.

“Anyone is going to be frustrated if they are left out. I was the same last season and he was very good to me.

“There’s a great relationship between all of us. Young Tyler (French) as well has come in and done really well when the opportunity has been given.

“We’re all learning off each other. Most of us are quite young so hopefully it can be a successful season.”

O’Connor started the final seven games of last season to cement his place in Bowyer’s plans and even took on the captain’s armband.

But again, the current campaign has not proved smooth sailing with a pre-season niggle holding him back once more.

He added: “There was a bit of an injury at the start of pre-season that obviously worked against me and kept me out for a few weeks.

“I was working with the physios to get back but couldn’t rush it because it’s a really long season. We’ve still got nearly 40 games to play.

“It was a case of getting it right and, once it was, waiting for my chance.

“The gaffer has decided to put me in and I’m going to have to repay him now and hopefully stay in the team.”

Anthony O’Connor had formed a promising partnership with Ben Richards-Everton in his absence and Paudie insists all of them can expect to see plenty of action as the campaign unfolds.

“It’s a physical league so people are going to pick up injuries. There’s going to be indifferent form.

“The manager might want to change the formation, so you’re never too far away from your next game or opportunity.

“You just need to keep your head down, train hard and take that chance when it comes along.”

The visit to the Bescot to face Walsall pits City against one of the teams who came down with them from League One.

O’Connor, who notched the late winner over Northampton, has not noticed much difference so far in the physicality of the opponents in the bottom tier.

It is the way teams have sat back against City, particularly at Valley Parade, that is taking some getting used to.

“Some teams will play slightly more direct but you find that happens in League One as well,” he said.

“There hasn’t been a huge difference in the style of play but, at the same time, we’ve maybe found it a bit difficult against certain teams.

“We’re going to have to try and work that out going forward and be able to deal with it.”