It was a journey that’s been a bit misunderstood from the outside looking in, but at the weekend I was able to catch up with our boy, newly minted Columbus Crew striker Pat Noonan about everything that’s gone on in the first 8 months of 2008.

Dunny - In January you were dealing with your contract option not being picked up, how hard was that?

Pat - There’s no question it was difficult not having my option picked up with New England. Any time you have spent 5 good years with a team and performed for them you don’t expect that to happen. I understand I was injured too much towards the end of the contract but I still did many good things for the organization and thought I deserved what I was making.

Dunny - The decision to sign with Aalesund was seemingly a good one, but with injuries and coaching decisions you didn’t get the opportunities that were promised. What were some of the frustrations you felt knowing you’d picked up your life and made a major decision to go to Norway? Especially with Elvira going over there with you?

Pat - I was definitely looking forward to our decision to go to Norway to start a new chapter in my professional career. I expected to help a team that was towards the bottom of the league in many different ways. For some reason I wasn’t starting for the first 2 months I was there and it was a surprise to both myself and others in the organization. I was performing well and not getting a chance to show it on game day.

The style of play also didn’t help me to perform the way I am capable of doing. We played many long balls to our 6′9″ forward and it didn’t allow for balls to move through the midfield.

The last big reason for coming back was the lifestyle. It was a very small city with not a whole lot to do and this made it difficult for both myself and Elvira to have a life outside the game. We are both very happy to back in the U.S. and especially Columbus.

Dunny - When did you first get the feeling that coming back to MLS was an option?

Pat - I think my first thoughts of coming back came after I wasn’t starting for the first quarter of the season. They paid a good amount of money to bring me to the club and they weren’t using me. Even though we were losing many games I didn’t see a coaching change in the future and knew i didn’t have years to sit around not playing

Dunny - Columbus Crew was the final destination, but was there ever any chance that you’d head back to New England?

Pat - I think the only real chance of being in New England was if they didn’t want to trade me. I was ready to come back but with a different team, and when my option wasn’t picked up I felt that chapter of my career was over. I was ready to move on.

Dunny - Columbus are in great form this season, what are some of the things that you’ll bring to the team?

Pat - I hope to help the team continue in there winning ways. They have a great locker room and a lot of young talent with good leadership and I hope to continue that leadership with the experience I have had. I hope that on the field I can do the same things I did when I was with New England and that is bringing an offensive flare that provides both creativity in the offensive third of the field as well as hard work on both sides of the ball. I like putting both myself and my teammates in good position to make something happen.

Dunny - You haven’t been called into the Full Team since January, what do you think you’ll need to do to get back in the squad?

Pat - To be involved with the national team again I need to be starting and performing on a week to week basis. If you’re not playing you won’t be called in and I think that if I am out there playing 90 minutes and producing for the team, I will have a shot again.

Dunny - Some people have reported this is a loan deal and other a permanent move, would you want to comment on that?

Pat - I hope that this is something permanent, no question. I don’t plan on bouncing around from team to team the rest of my career. I am really enjoying Columbus so far and hope to make it my home. I think if I perform here they will want to keep me around and now it is just a matter of doing that.