Sligo Rovers' Simon Power: ‘We still have a really good chance to get European football'

Simon Power at the launch of EA FC 25

Simon Power at the launch of EA FC 25 Credit: Seb Daly/Sportsfile

Sligo Rovers have enjoyed a fine season this year and winger Simon Power is determined to ensure it is bookended by qualification for European football.

The Greystones native joined the Bit O’Red at the end of the 2023 campaign from four-in-a-row league winner Shamrock Rovers.

And while many thought Power was going to throw himself into a relegation battle at the Showgrounds, he and his teammates have confounded all pre-season expectations.

John Russell’s men are well in contention for an unlikely Europe qualification.

“We're doing pretty well,” Power told extratime.com at the launch of FC 25.

“If you look at the start of the season and particularly last season, because Sligo finished eighth, I think people were writing us off and saying we were going to be the first team to go down because it's a young squad. 

“But I think we've flipped that on its head with the way we play. We have a young and hungry squad with lads who are eager to prove a point. It's been good. There's only six games left now, so everything's pretty much irrelevant now.”

Sligo as a club are well-used to proving doubters wrong and this year is no different.

And that mentality has seeped its way into the playing squad who are relishing the prospect of that themselves.

“People were saying that we were going to be the first team relegated on the back of last season,” Power added. “It's a squad full of young players and maybe lads who were released from other clubs. 



“It’s maybe part of our DNA to prove people wrong and just being young and ambitious as well to kick on in your career.”

And this season has been a positive for winger Power as he finally appears to have shrugged off his injury woes that dogged his spell at Shamrock Rovers.

“The last few years have been obviously tough but I'm learning to take it in my stride. Injuries are part of football,” he explained. “But I suppose the extent of my injuries… It's always been muscle tears on repeat. 

“It has tested my resilience I suppose. Having to rehab, fight back and get my spot back in the team and work on my fitness and then, you know, come crashing down again. 

“It's made me a stronger person but I'm probably fed up with it now to be honest. I just want to be playing games.”

At Tallaght Stadium, the 26-year-old won two Premier Division titles.



But he concedes that they do not feel ‘real’ having not played as much as he would have liked in Dublin 24.

“I have two league medals under my belt but the way I look at it, it doesn't really feel as real because I didn't really play,” the former UCD and Norwich City man said. 

“I only played eight league games, maybe in total. It's one of those ones. 

“I have two league medals but I didn't really play a part and it doesn't feel like I earned it.”

But that has fuelled his fire this season at Sligo Rovers and he is determined to bring the Bit O’Red to Europe having had a brief taste of it in 2022 with Shamrock Rovers.

“I've had a little experience of it and what it's like playing in the group stage,” Power, who played for Shamrock Rovers away to Djurgaardens in 2022, said.

“Maybe some of the lads in Sligo haven't experienced that. I'd like to take my experience and what it takes and bring it on to the lads because it's not easy and it takes a lot of determination and focus and concentration.

“That's what I'm trying to instill into the lads and it's not an easy process but I feel like we've got the quality to be able to do that.”

Win For The Club as EA SPORTS FC announces the return of the League of Ireland to FC 25! Featuring the individual club crest of all 10 SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division teams, these exclusive sleeves will be available to download free from https://www.ea.com/fc25 when the game launches worldwide Friday, September 27th!

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