Stephen Bradley: ‘Brexit has given us this opportunity to really focus and put plans in place to develop our players’

Macdara Ferris reports from Fahy’s Field in Galway

The League of Ireland champions Shamrock Rovers will take on FAI Cup holders St Patrick’s Athletic in Tallaght Stadium this Friday in the season opening President’s Cup.

Last year Rovers lost out on winning the season curtain raiser as Dundalk won on the President’s Cup on penalties.

Speaking to extratime.com on Saturday after Rovers’ 3-0 friendly win over Galway United, Hoops Head Coach Stephen Bradley said after a productive pre-season he is looking forward to the opportunity for his side to collect more silverware this week. 

“There is a trophy at stake,” said Bradley ahead of Friday’s fixture against the Saints. “It kicks off the season and we will try and win the game. It will give us a good gauge of where we are.” 

Rovers’ opponents St. Patrick’s Athletic will continue to have James Abankwah in their squad for the first half of the season before his move to Serie A side Udinese later in the year. 

Brexit

The defender is one of a number of teenage players from Ireland who have recently signed for continental European clubs – something that will become much more common now that the route to British clubs for players under-18 has closed due to Brexit. 

Other recent high profile switches to Italian clubs include former Rovers player Kevin Zefi at Inter Milan and the confirmation last week of Cathal Heffernan’s departure to AC Milan.  

Bradley welcomes the new opportunities available to young Irish footballing talent but warns that the priority for Irish football must be for players to be developed at home.

“It is great that a different avenue has really opened up to the tradition that we were used to. It is getting explored a lot more because of Brexit. It will help Irish football in the long run. 

“We need to be very careful though. Brexit has given us this opportunity to really focus and put plans in place to develop our players. That is what we should do. We shouldn't take our eye off the ball and think players are going to Europe now and say that is job done.

“We need to be careful that we don't turn it into another England scenario and push all our player development onto countries around Europe. We need to take ownership of the situation.”

Pre-season

Bradley was speaking to extratime.com in Galway on Saturday night after the Hoops wrapped up their pre-season friendlies over the weekend with two 3-0 wins – the first in Tallaght Stadium against Bray Wanderers early Saturday afternoon and the second over Galway United in Mervue at Fahy’s Field later that day as Rovers continued their trend from the last three weekends of using their full squad across two games on one day.

“We are really happy with how pre-season went. There were no serious knocks for the players. Certain things that we have worked on have come together well over the course of pre-season. The players look fit and ready to go.”

Andy Lyons

New Rovers signing Andy Lyons slotted in at right wing back for Rovers’ game against Galway that was played on Mervue United’s astro pitch. He provided the assist for the first of two Danny Mandriou goals (with Rovers second goal on the night slotted home by Dylan Watts).

Speaking about Lyons, Bradley noted “I said when I signed him that we wanted him for a number of years and he has shown early on the reasons why. He is athletic, clever and suits how we play. He is still learning and that is natural. As time goes on, he will get even better.”

Playing behind Lyons, in the right side of the Hoops’ back three in Galway was 18-year-old Sean Jones-Carey, who joined the Rovers academy at under-15 level from Cherry Orchard.

The defender, who also played in the 3-0 friendly win over Treaty United the previous weekaend, is a player who Bradley describes as having “a good future at this club if he keeps working hard. He can play right side at centre back and right back and is very quick and athletic. He is in the mold of Sean Gannon.”

Shelbourne sign former Shamrock Rovers striker Dan Carr https://t.co/VfudkrCIlupic.twitter.com/QDyv2gMgfi

— Extratime.com (@ExtratimeNews) February 3, 2022