Extratime reveal 2012 Columnists lineup

The 2012 Airtricity Season is just around the corner and once again Extratime.ie is dedicated to bringing you the best in League of Ireland coverage.

Over the course of the season our new team of columnists will give you plenty to chew on with expert analysis and cutting edge insight into Irish football.

Along with some returning faces, we are delighted to welcome on-board some of biggest names in Irish domestic soccer from the fields of punditry and management as well as players based both at home and abroad.

New to Extratime for the 2012 season, we welcome Shamrock Rovers manager Stephen Kenny and former Cork City, Shamrock Rovers and Shelbourne manager Damien Richardson.  We also welcome UCD midfielder Paul Corry to the fold who will be providing a fascinating insight into the league from the perspective of an up-and-coming player.

Having managed clubs in both Ireland and abroad for the past 14 years, Stephen Kenny has developed an in-depth knowledge of football which has seen him claim League Championships in both the Premier and First Divisions, the FAI Cup and no less than four League of Ireland Cups in the past six years. Gearing up for his first season with reigning Premier Divisions champions Shamrock Rovers, Stephen will be giving you his unique insights into the beautiful game in the coming weeks.

Damien Richardson is certainly no stranger to the League of Ireland with huge success as both a player and manager. Cumulatively Damien has won three league and FAI Cup titles as well as a host of other honours.  More recently he managed the Airtricity Selection in the Dublin Super Cup. Damien kicks off Extratime’s 2012 Columns with an intriguing look at the pre-season antics that accompany every LOI season.

Paul Corry made plenty of headlines in the off-season having caught the eye of several clubs both in Ireland and abroad following some fantastic and consistent performances throughout the 2011 season. Paul decided to remain with UCD for this season and is sure to play a pivotal role in the students’ endeavours this year. The 21 year old has already represented, and indeed captained Ireland, at youth level and brings a fresh perspective to life in the League of Ireland.

Several of the country’s hottest prospects now ply their trade overseas and in Eamon Zayed and Shane McFaul, Extratime brings you the views from two of the best. Eamon is currently on the books with Persepolis in Iran where he recently scored a stunning hat trick in the Tehran derby – the first non-Iranian to do so. He has also been named World Player of the Week and won the 2011 PFAI Award as well picking up the gong for top goal scorer in the Airtricity league last year.

Shane McFaul is gearing up for his first season with FC Haka of Finland following his transfer there from St Patrick’s Athletic this off-season. Shane has also enjoyed spells in England, America and has represented Ireland at under 21 level. His Extratime column had a huge following last year as he detailed St Pat’s epic European adventure as well as all the happenings from the X-factor and further afield.

Seeing out the week will be Extratime’s dedicated team of in-house columnists. Alan Smith, Simon O’Gorman and Sam Griffin will offer a fresh, no holds barred insight into Irish football with their rotating column every weekend.

And don’t forget to keep an eye out for guest columnists and other features throughout the year as Extratime brings you the best coverage from home and abroad including all the action form Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine.

It’s sure to be another unforgettable season for Irish football.

Read Damien Richardson's first Extratime.ie column - That Time of Year