Shane Tracy: 'After a few years in the First Division you realise how good a league it is'

After eight seasons with his hometown club Limerick, Shane Tracy can once again look forward to Premier Division football, following the Super Blues' impressive domination of the League of Ireland’s second tier. In a recent chat with ExtraTime.ie, Shane discussed his playing career to date.

At 16, Tracy left local side Wembley Rovers for Arsenal in 2005, but with 12 months still remaining on a three-year contract, the teenager returned to Ireland for practical reasons.

“In my last season, they put a lot of money into the youths,” Tracy told Extratime.ie.

“The year before, there were about eleven of us on the YTS, but then they got in players from all over and we ended up with 23 players.

“I saw the way lads were ousted and didn’t want it to happen to myself, so I made the decision to leave.

“A bit of homesickness had kicked in and a lot of the guys who’d signed when I came over had already left.

“I felt that I wasn’t going to go any further within the club and didn’t want to waste a year there. I didn’t want to be training every day and then sitting on the bench, but in hindsight, I probably should have stayed.”

On return from London in 2007, the Shannonsider joined Galway United, where he went on loan to Limerick 37 in his second season with the Tribesmen.

“When I initially went to Galway I played a lot, up until the mid-season break. Even during that first year I tried to go on loan because I was frustrated that I didn’t play more, but Tony Cousins wouldn’t allow it.

“In 2008 I went on loan for six months, but after five games I tore my knee apart and that was the end of that. Jeff Kenna came in and for a player he’d never seen, it was very hard to get a contract.”

A permanent deal with Limerick FC in 2009, saw Shane collect that season’s Players’ and Supporters’ Player of the Year trophies – just rewards following his enforced absence from the game.

“I done a heap of work to get my fitness levels back up after injury, spending a lot of time in the gym rebuilding the muscle around my knee, but it paid off. I had a good year and was just enjoying playing regular football again.”

Limerick flirted with promotion for a few seasons and finally clinched the First Division title in 2012, to the delight of all those associated with the Munster club.

“We were nearly there three years in a row, but the season we did it, we had a really good side.

“It was a relief because we all wanted to play Premier Division football, but after a few years in the First Division, you realise how good a league it is.”

Enjoying life amongst the League of Ireland’s top clubs, 2013 ended up badly for Tracy, as a familiar injury sidelined him for the remaining three months of that season.

“I was going good, getting a few goals that year. We were doing well for our first season up and got some decent results against the bigger teams.

“It was very frustrating, being the same knee again, but luckily it hasn’t reoccurred since then.”

A well-established topflight footballer by 2015, surprisingly Shane didn’t re-sign for Limerick prior to that year’s Premier Division campaign, but eventually penned a new deal in mid-April.

“I had talks with Martin Russell, but with work at the time, it didn’t suit either party. In the League of Ireland, players don’t get paid in the off-season and I had a family to look after.

“Unfortunately, these are circumstances that a lot of other footballers find themselves in as well. Luckily, we sat down again, had discussions and came to an agreement that satisfied both sides.”

Also in 2015, Limerick secured a relegation play-off position during the final round of fixtures, but defeat to Finn Harps meant a heartbreaking return to the First Division.

“We done so well towards the end of the season, as nobody had given us a hope. We had a very poor first half of the year and could have done with one or two more players coming in.”

There were to be no near misses come 2016, as Limerick walked away with the First Division title at the first time of asking, winning the league by a massive 23 points, with just three draws and a solitary loss all season.

“There was no messing about. Players were signed early and lads who done well towards the end of the previous campaign were given two-year deals.

“A good squad were assembled and fellas looked after themselves during the off-season. The style of play, Markets Field – everything suited us and the boys bought into what Martin was saying.

“There’s no secret to success, just hard work and lads sticking together. I think it showed in our performances and it’s just great to get back up.”