
Aaron Connolly set for Millwall departure
Millwall have confirmed the departure of Ireland forward Aaron Connolly who will leave The Den at the end of his contract next month.
The Lions announced the club's retained and released list following the end of the Sky Bet Championship season, with Alex Neil's side having finished in eighth – just two points from the play-offs.
Connolly only signed for Millwall in January, and scored one goal in his 14 appearances for the south London club.
Millwall also confirmed talks over new contracts continue with several players, including former Ireland Under-21 international, Danny McNamara.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Irish Sun
4 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Ireland vs Senegal tickets, TV channel, stream, kick-off time and odds for history-making friendly
IRELAND face Senegal in a friendly match at the Aviva Stadium on Friday night. Senegal star Sadio Mane is 2 Evan Ferguson will be hoping for minutes over the international window 2 Nicolas Jackson is one of the most notable names in the Senegal squad Troy Parrott is also doubtful to face the Lions after Senegal won't be without firepower as some recognisable stars have been announced in the squad. Ismaïla Sarr, Nicolas Jackson, Iliman Ndiaye, Idrissa Gana Gueye, Édouard Mendy and Kalidou Koulibaly to name a few, have all featured at the top level in the Premier League. Friday will be the first time these two sides have ever met in a FIFA recognised fixture. Most read on Irish Football Both sides are beginning preparations ahead of World Cup qualifiers for 2026 World Cup in United States, Canada and Mexico. Here's everything you need to know ahead of the fixture: Where can I get Tickets? Tickets are widely available throughout the stadium, with only six of 101 general admission sections selling out so far. The cheapest remaining individual tickets are €38.75 for an adult ticket and €22.95 for an under 18 ticket. Most read in Football Tickets are available to buy What time is kick-off? Kick-off for the friendly is at 7:45pm on Friday in the Aviva stadium. Middlesbrough fans will agree with Carrick sacking and there's a perfect man ready to replace him The fixture fills the void left by the League of Ireland which is on a week break. What TV channel is Ireland vs Senegal on? The match is being shown live on RTE2 with coverage starting at 7pm for a 7:45pm kick-off. It can also be streamed live on the RTE player. What are the odds? To no one's surprise, 19th in the world Senegal go into the game as favourites. A Senegal win is set at 23/20 by the bookmakers. An Ireland win is going at 19/10, while a draw is 13/5. World Cup bound? Ireland's friendly fixtures against Senegal and Luxembourg were organised in preparation for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers. Senegal will be tough opposition but great experience as they featured in the most recent World Cup, a feat Ireland will wish to replicate. Heimir Hallgrimsson's side's qualification campaign gets underway on September 6 against Hungary in the Aviva stadium. In a group with Portugal, Armenia and Hungary, Hallgrimsson is hopeful he can take Ireland to their first men's World Cup since 2002.


Extra.ie
9 hours ago
- Extra.ie
Three rookies primed for a huge summer tour with Ireland
Three exciting rookies are set to make their mark as Ireland gears up for a massive summer tour filled with promise and opportunity. All eyes will be on the fresh faces as they look to impress and stake a claim for a long-term place in the Irish squad this summer. Here are the three rising stars who could shape Ireland's future, adding new depth and energy to the squad: Paddy McCarthy Paddy McCarthy. Pic: Shauna Clinton/Sportsfile Younger brother of Leinster, Ireland and soon-to-be Lions lock Joe McCarthy, the powerful loosehead prop has the same physical profile and mean edge to thrive at the top level. Along with Sam Prendergast, Brian Gleeson and Gus McCarthy, he was a standout performer on an Ireland U20 side which reached a Junior World Cup final in 2023. The 21-year-old has suffered his fair share of injury setbacks of late, which has hindered him to just six senior appearances for Leinster thus far. McCarthy remains a raw prospect and he has endured a few tough outings at scrum time on the AIL beat with Trinity. But the Leinster frontrower is highly-rated and it's clear the Irish management see him as a player who could move through the ranks quickly in the coming years. Ben Murphy Ben Murphy. Pic: Thomas Flinkow/Sportsfile Connacht had a tough season but Ben Murphy had a consistently excellent campaign in a struggling team. Murphy came through the ranks with his home province Leinster but decided to seek pastures new with Connacht at the beginning of this season. Seeing the likes of Jamison Gibson-Park, Luke McGrath and rookie Fintan Gunne ahead of him in the pecking order, he set forth for Galway with the hope of getting more top-level exposure. And despite the presence of Caolin Blade and Matthew Devine, Murphy quickly become a first-choice option out West. The 24-year-old played 17 games for this adopted province this term. A lively player with an eye for a break, Murphy will be one to watch on tour. Hugh Gavin Hugh Gavin. Pic: Seb Daly/Sportsfile Bundee Aki 2.0. The promising 21-year-old midfielder is cut from the same mould as the Ireland stalwart and Clan Terrace favourite. Gavin offers the same gainline-breaking power as Aki. Gavin was ever-present for the Ireland U20s during their prolific 2023 and 2024 campaigns. He operated on the wing and centre during his time with Richie Murphy's side, demonstrating his versatility. A native of Galway, Gavin is stepped in the history of the province and is one of the club's biggest prospects. He has already been part of Emerging Ireland tours and been around senior training camps. Now, he is set for the next step.


Extra.ie
13 hours ago
- Extra.ie
Ireland captaincy can drive Craig Casey's game to a new level
Craig Casey has always been an ambitious and driven character. Since he was a boy, becoming a professional rugby was his ultimate goal. He rose through the ranks of Ardscoil Ris and through the Munster and Ireland age grades. He helped the Ireland U20s to a Grand Slam in 2019 and made his senior debut for Munster a few months later. It only took 18 months for an international debut to follow – alongside Ryan Baird, from the bench, in a Six Nations clash with the Italians in Rome. Craig Casey of Munster celebrates after scoring his side's second try during the United Rugby Championship match between Connacht and Munster at Hastings Insurance MacHale Park in Castlebar, Mayo. Pic: Seb Daly/Sportsfile Casey has become a central figure at Thomond Park in recent years. He has long been the established first-choice scrum-half at Munster. Yes, time caught up with Conor Murray but Casey's compelling form had a huge amount to do with the changing of the guard. Now 26, he is primed for the next phase of a meteoric career. His promotion to the Ireland captaincy for the looming summer tour was a huge vote of confidence from the management. Of course, there is plenty of mitigation. The experience in this senior squad has been gutted due to Lions call-ups, injuries and retirements. Yet it still speaks volumes that the management turned to Casey to lead this young squad through assignments in Tblisi and Lisbon. The captaincy is something of a consolation prize for the Munster scrum-half. The knee injury he suffered during a Champions Cup pool game in December derailed his season and ultimately his Lions ambitions. Casey sat out the Six Nations and watched on as Jamison Gibson-Park, Alex Mitchell and other Test rivals pressed their claims to be included in Andy Farrell's summer plans. Even though he missed the championship, the Limerick native still watched the squad announcement with a degree of hope. He may have missed the big Six Nations audition but his form for Munster had been strong since his return from injury. And he has a lot of credit in the bank with Farrell. Craig Casey of Munster leaves the pitch on crutches after the Champions Cup Pool 3 match between Castres Olympique and Munster at Stade Pierre Fabre in Castres, France. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile Alas, he didn't make the cut. You can be sure he's high on the standby list, though. When Casey was asked about missing the cut at a sponsorship gig a few weeks later, he didn't drift into platitudes. He was gutted to miss it and and felt he was right in the mix. Casey is a confident character who has possessed had a deep-rooted self belief. It's got him this far and it will be fascinating to see how he develops with the extra responsibility of the national captaincy. This tour may have an off-Broadway feel about it, but there is plenty to be gained. Farrell will be keeping tabs on development and Paul O'Connell will have an extensive post-tour report ready for the gaffer when he's back in the day job come November. It should be no surprise that Casey got the nod to lead this youthful group. He is a player who always leads by example. He shares many traits with Peter Stringer, one his rugby idols growing up. Casey has the same lightning-quick pass and the same relentless engine. The sight of him on the field doing extras long after training is a regular sight, be it the UL campus in Limerick or Abbotstown. Farrell liked his energy and enthusiasm from the get go. This is an insatiable character who lives and breathes the game. In terms of sheer intensity, he's probably the closest thing to a Johnny Sexton in the current international setup. On the eve of his first cap in 2021, Sexton himself saw similarities with another insanely committed character. Ireland players Craig Casey and Keith Earls during the national anthem before the Autumn Nations Series match between Ireland and Argentina at Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Pic: Seb Daly/Sportsfile 'I don't think I have ever come across anyone like him,' the former Ireland captain said at the time. 'It kind of reminds me what I read about Jonny Wilkinson – that is the only person I can relate him to. It is inspiring for the rest of the group and for someone like me, at this stage in my career, I like to be last off the pitch and I am never last off the pitch with him around. He has been brilliant.' No doubt, Casey will see plenty of game-time on tour. This could be a springboard to a massive campaign next season. Gibson-Park will be returning to Ireland camp as a potential Test Lion but Casey will feel he is now reaching a level where he can genuinely begin to challenge the Leinster scrum-half for a starting spot. Now that Murray has left, he is set to become an even more important character in the Munster setup. Clayton McMillan is arriving from New Zealand with a fresh vision. The Kiwi will build things around Casey and Jack Crowley. That will be his jumping off point. For now, Casey can reflect on another big milestone in his career. Who knows, it might even become a regular gig down the line. He will be in a rare position on tour. Casey is one of the few on board who has little to prove. Every other department looks wide open. The absence of so many frontline frontrowers has created a much-needed window of opportunity to the next generation of hookers and props. It feels the Georgia game – at Mikheil Meskhi Stadium on July 5 – was organised simply to stress test some of Ireland's fledging props. We're going to find out a lot about the likes of Jack Boyle, Michael Milne, Thomas Clarkson and Paddy McCarthy in Tblisi. Lock and the backrow are brimming with ambitious players, too. Will this be the summer when Ryan Baird and Cormac Izuchukwu kick on and become proper options at international level? Ben Murphy has been winning rave reviews at Connacht all season. The young scrum-half is a perfect example of a player leaving the Leinster system and thriving at a rival province. Hopefully it will inspire a few more to make the move out west, especially with Stuart Lancaster arriving in Galway soon. Sam Prendergast, Jack Crowley and Ciaran Frawley are quality options at No10 who will all feel that the pecking order is not set in stone. Hugh Gavin, Tommy O'Brien and Shayne Bolton are a trio of backs who can do the same. It should be an exciting summer and with Casey at the helm, they have a leader who can show them the way.