Sligo Rovers' Reece Hutchinson: 'I've been surprised coming here at the level of standard and the way the lads train, it's brilliant'

Michael Gallagher of UCD and Reece Hutchinson of Sligo Rovers.

Hutchinson in action for Sligo Rovers last season. Credit: John Crothers (ETPhotos)

Speaking with the extratime.com Podcast last week, Sligo Rovers' Reece Hutchinson, entering his second season at the club spoke of big plans in the Showgrounds for a top four finish in the Premier Division and a ticket to Europe.

In conversation with extratime.com's Luke Jordan and Donal Ryan, the Sligo Rovers spoke about a range of topics, including his early career in the UK.

Hutchinson began his senior career at Burton Albion where he made 43 appearances spanning across 7 years, his debut coming in 2018 against Aston Villa in a preseason friendly where they came out victorious. In his youth the right back, was signed early on by West Brom at the age of 8.

"I would've joined West Brom around the under 8s I think. At under 15s I was released, and that was quite a setback for me. 

"I then took a year out of football lacking a bit of direction.

“It was then when my dad actually got me back into a grass roots football team, where I played there for a year before getting scouted to Burton Albion.  I was on trial there for two weeks out of the six weeks and they offered me a deal early which I was pretty buzzing with."

Working under Nigel Clough, Hutchinson spoke highly of his time at Albion.

"He's a great man manager who gets the best out of you. He's quite firm with his old school ways but honestly that (signing for Burton Albion) was best thing that could've happened to me."

Having spent five years at the club, the Birmingham native transferred to Cheltenham Town in 2021 where he made nine senior appearances at the club before accepting a loan deal overseas in the League of Ireland.

The 23-year-old signed with Sligo Rovers on loan in February 2023, penning a full-time contract with the club in June. He netted his first and only goal last season for the Bit O'Red in March in a home encounter with St Patrick's Athletic in a 2-1 home defeat.



Entering his second season at the club, Hutchinson spoke about Sligo's 2024 league opener away to Bohemians in Dalymount Park on February 16th that finished 2-2.

"We were pretty happy with how we played. We were expecting a big crowd, so we just wanted to get out there and put on a show. Just show a bit of desire and we feel like we brought that to the table." 

Hutchinson made it on the score sheet, already equalling his scoring tally from last season.

"I was really happy even if it did come off of my shin, it went down as my goal and it was a bit of a dream start to be honest. Winning your first game (of the season) away from home in a pretty hostile place (Dalymount) was brilliant, so yeah I'm pretty buzzing with that."

Having finished eighth in the ten man Premier Division table last season, the Brummie revealed that he has high hopes for Sligo this season.

"To be honest the buildup has been great, pre-season is always long hard and challenging, but we've prepared the best we can."



"We've added a lot of new players this season so it will take some time to gel. There's a lot more youth in the team, more energy and aggression on the pitch, something I think we were lacking last season.

"You try not to pay much attention to social media, but obviously you do see the odd comment where it says that we are favourites to go down this season. But honestly, we thrive off of that.

“Nobody knows what's going on behind the scenes here, what we see in training, all the boys' abilities. We're hopefully going to be challenging near the top end of the table this season.

English signings are becoming more and more of a done thing in the league of Ireland as the league develops. Picking the brains of Hutchinson, he reveals what transferring overseas was like for him.

"When I got the call, I was a bit hesitant, but when I got a call from the gaffer John, he put on a presentation for me, and I was blown away. I didn't know about the standard of the league or the place or anything like that, so it was pretty daunting.

“I lived at home my whole life and just travelled to football from home, but honestly I've been surprised coming here at the level of standard and the way the lads train, it's brilliant.

"I like Sligo as a place, the town, the fans, and I was becoming quite a crucial part of the team and I hadn't felt that sort of belief in me as a player since my Burton Albion days, so that was a big impact in why I chose to sign.

"Last season I was on loan, so my main focus was to impress the gaffer here as well as back home. But now, since I've signed, I've had more focus and obviously I want to keep the club up and keep the team up in the premier division.

Hutchinson emphasized the importance of good team morale as he looked to the season ahead: "We set our goal this year to have that passion, ambition and work rate to go and win us games. The bond is quite strong this year, everyone is getting on with each other."

Now, established as a first team player in Sligo, Hutchinson has settled in Colooney in Sligo, living with teammates Simon Power and JR Wilson.

"They're two great guys, whether it’s watching the football on TV or cooking dinner for each other, it’s the little things, you build a connection from."

At just 23 years of age, Hutchinson is only a youngster with a bright career ahead of him. But for now, he is a Bit O'Red.

"I just want to see where this season goes. I want to get a good 36 games under his belt. As long as I'm with Sligo I'm going to give it all for the shirt and hopefully make Europe this year which is a real aim of mine."

About Rory Merriman

Rory Merriman is a St. Patrick’s Athletic fan who studied journalism in TU Dublin and has written for numerous publications both online and print. He joined the extratime.com team in 2023. View Full Profile