Lawlor living out his dreams has extended to international football too.
He had actually bought a ticket for the 7-1 thrashing of North Macedonia in World Cup qualifying in mid-November but, instead of sitting in the stands, Lawlor played the full 90 minutes as he earned his third senior Wales cap.
“It’s a bit of a surreal experience,” he said. “The atmosphere for the one at home was just incredible. Obviously, that’s what I dreamed of.
“I’ve been sat in the stands watching the game and singing the anthem as a fan, so then to sing as a player was just an incredible experience.
“It was nice for my family to finally to get to see it as well. It was unreal.”
Lawlor remembers the first Wales match he watched was against Bosnia-Herzegovina in 2014, and notes the “full-circle moment” it would be if he plays when the teams meet again in their World Cup play-off semi-final in March.
Now Lawlor dreams of helping Wales qualify for the World Cup, with a home tie against either Italy or Northern Ireland to follow in the play-off final should Wales beat Bosnia-Herzegovina.
“That would be unbelievable if we got it,” he said. “I think it’s achievable, which is the most exciting thing about it.
“I was at the Austria and Ukraine play-off games [to qualify for the 2022 World Cup], so hopefully going to play in them and take the country to the World Cup would be unbelievable, and would be a really nice way to finish the season.”
Lawlor says he “could not have asked for two better managers” for his first season in professional football, with Barry-Murphy at Cardiff and Bellamy for Wales.
With similar playing styles and demands, he notes how it has been “easy to interchange between the two” and that he is really “enjoying football with both”.
From scarf-wearing supporter to international defender, Lawlor has already enjoyed quite the journey. A fan who dreamed of emulating his heroes could soon become one in his own right.
