Thursday 24 September 2020 10:29, UK
As a child playing for Barrow Island's U12s, Brad Singleton got to have his photograph taken with Sean O'Loughlin.
Now aged 27, the prop will be playing alongside the Wigan Warriors captain as his team-mate after joining the Cherry and Whites on a three-year contract.
Although his hometown of Barrow-in-Furness has its own semi-professional club with its dedicated band of supporters, Super League loyalties in that part of south Cumbria are generally split along the lines of Wigan and St Helens.
For Singleton, the former held sway and he is excited to now have the opportunity to pull on the Wigan shirt as well as play alongside one of rugby league's modern greats.
"It's similar to [Premier League] football [in Barrow]," Singleton said. "Because it's out the way, but a lot of people are Lancastrian at heart, it's all Manchester United and Liverpool, and it's all Saints and Wigan.
"In the end, I think I supported Wigan. I think there's actually a picture of me with Sean O'Loughlin when I was in the U12s with a Wigan shirt.
"I've been with some great leaders in the past and it will be interesting to see how he goes about his business. To be so good and to be at the top for close to 20 years, it will be nice to see how it works."
Ireland international Singleton made his name with Leeds Rhinos, being part of two Super League Grand Final triumphs and a Challenge Cup success between making his debut in 2011 and leaving to join Toronto in 2019.
That move to the Canadian outfit for their maiden Super League campaign saw him reunited with his old Rhinos head coach Brian McDermott, but he made just four appearances before the season was suspended, followed by the Wolfpack withdrawing prior to the August restart.
To make matters worse, Singleton had to endure four months without being paid as a result of the financial problems affecting Toronto and was unable to train early on in lockdown due to having surgery on a knee injury, but he was able to maintain his focus.
"I think the whole world went through situations like mine," Singleton said. "People lost jobs and all sorts of things happened, so for me I tried to look at the positive and get myself out of it.
I think the whole world went through situations like mine. People lost jobs and all sorts of things happened, so for me I tried to look at the positive and get myself out of it.
"I entered lockdown with a brace on because I'd just come back from a knee operation, so if you press pause with me with no club, no income and my leg in a brace, of course I could sit there and say how bad my life is.
"But it doesn't help anyone, so you sit there and be positive, get yourself out of the brace, do everything you can fitness-wise and try to be as positive as possible."
Singleton's arrival at Wigan adds more depth to an already formidable front row which includes the likes of George Burgess, Oliver Partington and Ben Flower, plus the up-and-coming Ethan Havard and long-term injury absentee Tony Clubb.
Adrian Lam has made it clear that Singleton will have no guarantees over playing time this year and have to show he deserves a place in the matchday squad, although the forward would not have it any other way.
"It would be harder for me if he said: 'Here's your shirt, mate'," Singleton said. "In rugby league, we're a hard-working sport and you need that.
"I think it's a clean slate for everyone who comes in. At such a big club like Wigan, I don't expect a shirt.
"This period for me is the foundation for my three years. I need to nail it, especially in the next couple of weeks of rehabilitation. Then it's a case of getting out there with the lads and enjoying it, helping them the way I can."
In any case, Friday's Super League match against Wakefield Trinity comes too soon for Singleton to make his Wigan bow as he is in the final stages of rehabilitation from his knee injury.
I've been in successful teams and you can sense the group is so hard-working and willing to do that extra effort for the cause.
The Challenge Cup semi-final against old club Leeds on October 3 is perhaps a more realistic target for him. But whenever he does finally get to play, Singleton is eager to contribute to Wigan's push for honours.
With the side being just 80 minutes from a trip to Wembley and right in the mix for the Super League play-offs, the newcomer has plenty of reasons to believe this can be a successful year for the Warriors.
"I've been in successful teams and you can sense the group is so hard-working and willing to do that extra effort for the cause," Singleton said.
"You can feel it just right around the camp and I think it's great."
