RTÉ Soccer Podcast: LOI at HT, PSG in-person, Cork revenge mission and Delap (not) for Ireland?
Former league winning midfielders Alan Cawley and Richie Towell, Shelbourne and ex-Republic of Ireland international's Rachel Graham and RTÉ Sport's Anthony Pyne join Raf Diallo on this week's RTÉ Soccer Podcast.
TIMESTAMPS
01:00 Alan talks about the experience of attending Saturday's Champions League final as Paris Saint-Germain thrashed Inter Milan 5-0 in Munich, before he and Richie analyse the Parisians' victory and what it means for the European game at large.
21:00 Rachel and Anthony reflect on the Republic of Ireland's late win over Turkey in the Women's Nations League and the task to come on Tuesday (live on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player) as Carla Ward's side prepare to take on an impressive Slovenia in Cork.
40:30 Richie and Alan talk League of Ireland as the season reaches the halfway mark. They pick their Players and Young Players of the campaign so far, while Richie has his say on his former Shamrock Rovers manager Stephen Bradley's public criticism of Josh Honohan's performance against Galway United, and Alan gives his take on Sligo Rovers' issues and Cork City appointing David Meyler as assistant manager.
1:20.30 Building up to Ireland's friendly against Senegal (live on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player this Friday), Alan and Richie react to Heimir Hallgrimsson's comments about Liam Delap's willingness or not to switch to the Boys in Green, while also touching on Caoimhin Kelleher's imminent move from Liverpool to Brentford and a potential club v country impasse for Ireland U17s at the World Cup later this year.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Extra.ie
5 minutes ago
- Extra.ie
Inside Louise Quinn's family life ahead of retirement
Louise Quinn announced back in April that she would be retiring from football, with the announcement coming just weeks after welcoming her son Daragh into the world with partner Eilish O'Gara. The 34-year-old is retiring following 121 appearances for the Ireland Women's National Team and a noteworthy club career. Reflecting on her career, the Blessington native said: 'When the time arrives that you need to write your retirement statement, they are the hardest words to find. But it is time for me to hang up the boots. Louise Quinn announced back in April that she would be retiring from football. Pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile 'There are so many reasons as to why or why not, but it's just one of those things, when you know, you know.' She added: 'I have had the honour of playing with some incredible clubs, Blessington FC, Lakeside, Peamount United, Eskilstuna United, Notts County, Arsenal, Fiorentina and Birmingham City. 'I've been through it all with these clubs; I've won, lost, been promoted, relegated, experienced liquidation, reached the Champions League with many headers scored and many tackles missed. But they all have all given me a chance to prove how much I love the game. And that's it, I love the game and I'm going to miss it. 'The Ireland team…that is the reason why I always wanted to play this game. Some of the best moments of my life have been in the green jersey. I've been part of something so special. The foundations were laid by legends of the women's team before me and for a short period I was lucky enough to play with a few of them too. Then it was up to us to continue that fight to put the Ireland team on map on the international stage. We built, we fought, we were ALWAYS a team, a group that would give everything to everyone in our Irish bubble. And the World Cup proved that dreams do come true.' The football star also paid tribute to her family, including the 'loves of her life', partner Eilish and baby boy Daragh. She said: 'I am so excited to see our little family grow and what is next for us! Eilish, your support through the last few years has made me love football even more. Your 'no fear' attitude has rubbed off on me. Pic: Instagram/Louise Quinn 'To my friends, team-mates, coaches, fans and everyone who helped me along the way, the influence you have had over me has made me the person that I am. It has been the best experience of my life. I wouldn't change a thing. For now, I just can't wait to spend time with my family.' Louise was born in Blessington, Co Wicklow, to parents Jacinta and Pat. She has two older sisters, Sinead and Vivienne. The footballer graduated from UCD with a degree in Sports and Exercise Management after being awarded the Football Association of Ireland scholarship through Newbridge College. Pic: Instagram/Louise Quinn She also has a form of dyslexia, previously opening up about being exempt from studying languages in school. Speaking to Viola Nation in 2020, she said: 'I am terrible at languages, as in I was exempt in school from having to study them because of a form of dyslexia, even English, I'm terrible at.' Louise is in a relationship with model Eilish O'Gara, and the pair share an adorable son, Daragh, who they welcomed just last month. Taking to social media a couple of weeks ago, Louise wrote: 'Welcome to our family beautiful little boy. Daragh Keane Quinn, 7/3/25, 8lbs 4oz.' The family currently live in Birmingham, UK.
The 42
23 minutes ago
- The 42
'There is a line... you know what you can play through and what you can't'
EARLY JUNE AND credit to the League of Ireland for being prepared to pause for breath and allow its players a chance to recharge. The final stages of the Nations League take place in Germany over the next week, before FIFA's expanded Club World Cup kicks off on 15 June in the United States. So, no time for beaten Champions League finalists Inter Milan to dwell on that sobering 5-0 defeat to PSG as they will be back in action. An Irishman will also feature on that opening weekend when Kildare native Dylan Connolly turns out for New Zealand's fully amateur outfit Auckland City against European royalty Bayern Munich. This month will be filled with games before the final in New Jersey on 13 July; a date sandwiched between both legs of Shelbourne's Champions League first-round qualifying tie. By that point, Premier League clubs will also be back in pre-season action ahead of the 2025/26 campaign and, just six days after the Club World Cup final, Manchester United will play Leeds United in a friendly in Stockholm. On and on it goes, as seasons blend into one. The Republic of Ireland, of course, have two friendlies of their own over the next week as preparations continue for a condensed World Cup qualifying campaign that means September through to November is make or break for manager Heimir Hallgrímsson. He opted to leave out the majority of his Championship players from this squad so they could have the benefit of longer holidays this summer before – as the Ireland boss put it – they spent next year on duty at the World Cup. Someone who has been able to take time to relax on a couch is John Egan, who was a guest on a special live show for the Second Captains podcast in Cork last week. The 32-year-old still harbours ambition to play a role in those qualifiers in the autumn after rebuilding fitness and form over the last nine months with Burnley and Hull City. Advertisement An achilles injury in September 2023 brought a premature end to Egan's Premier League career as well as his time at Sheffield United, a club he helped earn promotion to England's top flight on two occasions. He explained on Second Captains how he went into a match with West Ham with injuries to his ankle and knee but didn't want to pull out of the starting XI as it had been a tough start to the season. 'When you're carrying an injury, it affects the rest of your body if you keep playing. That's advice I'll give to any young fellas or any people with young kids, going forward mind your body because you know you get an injury somewhere, it could be affecting you somewhere else,' he said. 'It cost me the rest of the season, probably cost me the rest of my Sheffield United career, which was sad. Yeah, I think it's (playing while injured) definitely an Irish thing. You kind of feel embarrassed if you don't train or you don't play, you know? That's how I felt anyway, and then you get the Europeans coming in and they've a little knock, they don't play and you think 'come on, man, just play', [but] they're going to be still playing when they're 40, if they want. 'I've learned the hard way. If I could go back I wouldn't play that game. I'd wait until I was right or until I had a two or three-year contract behind me. That's the be all and end all.' Those words, combined with a further elongation of the club and country calendar, seemed all the more prescient when Jason Knight was put up as the Ireland player on media duty yesterday. Now captain at Bristol City and still only 24-years-old, he played every minute of his side's 46-game regular campaign as well as the defeat over two legs to Sheffield United in the play-offs. That's even more impressive when you consider he was coming off the back of the 2023/24 season when he also played 3,848 minutes of 4,140 available. Jason Knight with John O'Shea (background). Tom Maher / INPHO Tom Maher / INPHO / INPHO Knight did manage a two-week break before joining the squad – Preston's Robbie Brady the other Championship player required for duty – and accepts it's hard to argue with Egan's regrets. 'John is probably right. There is a line and as you get older you get more experienced and you know what you can play through and what you can't,' he said. 'There's always knocks and niggles you can get through but I have been fortunate to get through the season without hurting myself too badly so a bit of luck as well. You can always get through a certain pain barrier and get on to the pitch.' That posed an obvious question: what is the line for you? 'If the leg isn't off, I suppose,' Knight said. John O'Shea, Ireland's assistant head coach, was sitting alongside the midfielder at the press conference and expanded on the kind of attitude and application that makes Knight so important. 'He is naturally leading now, vocally but also performance and intensity-wise. If we are doing a drill in training, you know if Knighty is involved in it that it is going to take care of itself and that is brilliant for a coaching staff, to have that and to see that reliability. 'It's also a trust to know what he is going to produce for the team as well. He has grown into the role for club and country. I'm sure there's lots of people looking at him and I'm sure Bristol City are very happy with him too. 'There's always that element of him being new school and old school, but it is a good school that he is from. Hopefully it continues.' Interest from other clubs for Knight is not at a stage where any transfer could be imminent. 'It's been a bit quiet for the last couple of weeks,' he said. Things move quickly in football and Knight knows that. 'I want to be ambitious. I want to play in the top division. But I'm relaxed, if it's now or in the future, that will be. I've just got to keep performing well to get to that point.' And if that means another summer still on the clock at the biggest show of all next summer then so be it.
The Irish Sun
41 minutes ago
- The Irish Sun
RTE mics pick up angry exchange between Katie McCabe and official as fans joke ‘Oh captain my captain'
A typically feisty exchange between Katie McCabe and a match official had Ireland fans in stitches laughing. Around 30 minutes into Advertisement 2 Ireland will find out on Friday who awaits them in October's Nations League promotion/relegation play-offs 2 Playing with a certain fire in the belly is what has made McCabe the player she is The quintessential McCabe moment was commented upon by several supporters on X. Aoife hailed: "Oh Katie McCabe they could never make me hate you." While Allie O'Rourke added: "Katie McCabe oh captain my captain!" Advertisement Read More On Irish Football Only last month Ireland head coach Carla Ward And speaking last night, Ward She warned that on the back of her Champions League-winning exploits, McCabe is "on the verge of burnout". Ireland travel to Colorado and Cincinnati later this month Advertisement Most read in Football Exclusive Exclusive But Ward will protect McCabe by giving her a break. She said: 'Katie has played a lot of minutes for club and country. 'She's on the verge of burnout, as are some others. There's going to be conversations. It won't just be Katie that won't be travelling.' Bruno Fernandes reveals role his wife played in £200m Al-Hilal transfer snub even though Man Utd were ready to cash in And Ward believes it is a more widespread issue in football. She cited her own decision to step away from former club Aston Villa — and England ace Millie Bright's call to pull out of the recent England squad — due to burnout. Advertisement The Ireland boss added: 'It's a difficult one. You've seen it with Millie Bright at England coming out. The mental and physical fatigue is just massive. 'I felt it at Villa. It's the reason I needed a break. It's a tough place to be and I think there's a lot of players close to it. 'They've played a lot of minutes, so we have to protect them. We'll support anybody that needs a break.' But Ward is taking a different approach with 'national sweetheart' Louise Quinn. Advertisement The retiring centre-back Ward stated: 'I've been trying to convince her. I don't think she'll come. I'm still going to try and convince her. But I think it'll maybe be time for the next generation. 'She's been brilliant. Even in team meetings, she sparks conversation where some of the younger ones don't. Her message at the end was so important in terms of, 'It's over to you guys, carry the baton'.'
