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The Irish Sun
11 hours ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Josh Honohan aims to seize Republic of Ireland chance after harsh lesson at Shamrock Rovers
JOSH HONOHAN has never been one for setting lofty goals - but he is about meeting high standards. The 2 Josh Honohan will be hoping to make his international debut for Ireland 2 Prior to Honahan's call up to the Ireland squad - his club manager Stephen Bradley claimed his 59 minutes against Galway United were the worst he had seen from the player His call-up was not a big shock to But his final game for Rovers before joining up with the Ireland squad was not one of his best. In fact, Bradley claimed his And Cork-man Honohan accepted the criticism knowing he has to raise his game. READ MORE ONN GAA He said: 'Look, the manager has been here for a good couple of years now and a massive reason the club has been so successful is that the manager has set the standard in the club. 'He does set high standards, he holds lads accountable and when you do come off that standard, like last Friday, he holds people accountable. 'And that's the standard he has and that's the standard I have for myself. The other night I didn't have my best game. 'The gaffer is very supportive of me, he's one of my biggest supporters. Most read in Football 'But I'm just focused now on the next game after that, trying to improve and getting back to that standard.' That his next game could be in the green of Ireland rather than the green and white of Shamrock Rovers would be a dream come true. Shamrock Rovers snap up Northern Ireland Under-21s goal-getter as Stephen Bradley gives exciting verdict In doing so, he would also become just the sixth home-based player this century to play for Ireland, after Glen Crowe, Jason Byrne, Joe Gamble, Graham Burke and Jack Byrne. And Honohan is well-aware of the lofty company, and why his own standards must be high. He said: 'The league has been improving every year, I think everyone would agree on that. 'I think you just see that first of all how much the teams have improved over the last couple of years and the players coming into the league. 'You can just do as well as you can for the club that you're playing for at the time and hope you get the opportunity. 'The league has been improving but the lads here are obviously playing at a very high level as well. 'Look, you're hopeful you get the opportunity, the manager, he's at a lot of the games, he's a big interest in the league. 'He picks the team, he picks the squad, it's his decision at the end of the day.' But even as he now settles into a squad in the Castleknock Hotel and in training in Abbotstown, he does not allow himself to dream too much. Honohan, 24, continued: 'To be honest, I do set small goals, but I don't set massive long-term goals. 'You have to do well at your club first. With Shamrock Rovers we did really well in Europe last year, that gives you an advantage, you're playing against high level teams. 'I just focus on one game at a time, and I think if you focus on one game at a time, consistently play well, and hopefully get the rewards down the line. 'You more just dream it and you just try to work as hard as you can, be disciplined and committed. 'And it sounds really cliché, but you just take one game at a time and try to do as well as you can and hope you get the opportunity. 'I'm just delighted to be here. It's a dream. Now that I am here, the aim is to do well in training. If I can make an appearance, do as well as I can, and stay here.' Few would bet against Honohan not doing that given how he has progressed through his career. Now 24, his signing for Rovers from relegated Cork City at the start of last season - the Hoops paid a fee for him - was not viewed as a statement signing. Honohan himself acknowledges that he has probably been a late developer. LATE BLOOMER He continued: 'When I came to Shamrock Rovers, I think I did an interview and one of the first things I said was that I just want to be the best player that I can be. 'I'm hopeful to do that, if you can achieve that, that's kind fo a dream, to do as well as you can. 'I never went to the UK, I've always been in Ireland. I played with Carrigaline United until I was 16 and I was lucky I had great coaching down there. 'And then I went to Cork City, the academy there, had brilliant managers there and I think that is definitely something that helped me. 'Having versatility playing different positions, I was lucky enough to have brilliant managers and coaches to help me with that in the academy. 'And then I played with Cork and came to Shamrock Rovers last year, and the standards they set, the manager, and the rest of the staff there have improved me. 'The coaching I've had since I was young has always been at a really high level, I've never been to the UK, but I've never looked at it like it was a negative.'
Irish Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Shamrock Rovers' return to the top driven by era-defining trinity of Burke, Lopes and Watts
Shamrock Rovers is a club of contradictions. Four league titles in succession were followed, last season, by the club's best ever European campaign. The Hoops achieved this despite a boardroom in open conflict since co-owner Dermot Desmond questioned the actions of 'some' directors. The situation made Rovers manager Stephen Bradley consider his own future . 'It's draining,' said Bradley in April, 'but over time you learn to manage it and realise what is important – family, health and the football.' Last year's second-place finish on 61 points was Rovers' lowest total since 2017 (excluding the shortened season of 2020). And yet, they banked €6.4 million in Uefa prize money for making it beyond the league phase of the Europa Conference League. READ MORE At the halfway stage in 2024, just before the international break, a six-point gap from eventual champions Shelbourne was extended to nine when Will Jarvis slotted two penalties at Tallaght Stadium as Pico Lopes was dismissed with two yellow cards. Dan Cleary, Trevor Clarke and Josh Honohan all limped off that night and Rovers seemed to be coming apart at the seams. The squad looked old as it faced into the 2025 season. Johnny Kenny's return to Celtic, after a 20-goal loan season, had people questioning Bradley's decision to fast-track a 16-year-old named Michael Noonan. In February, Noonan scored on his debut in a 1-0 win over Molde of Norway, but 10 more appearances failed to yield another goal as the manager's decision-making was put under the microscope. Only Bradley and Rovers' sporting director Stephen McPhail could see the wood for the trees. The Hoops were tracking John McGovern , a prodigious Gaelic footballer from Down, but Dungannon Swifts were not willing to sell the 22-year-old mid-campaign. McGovern finished the season with 20 goals, including a thumping header in the Irish Cup final victory over Cliftonville. 'We could have moved in on other players in the previous window, but we wanted to wait for John,' Bradley revealed this week. 'We really like what he's about.' Roberto 'Pico' Lopes has been a rock at the heart of Shamrock Rovers' defence for several seasons. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho By waiting for McGovern, Rovers took a risk as Noonan shared minutes with veteran forwards Aaron Greene and Rory Gaffney. Despite a combined age of 70, Greene and Gaffney contributed nine goals between them and Noonan has three in the last three victories over Waterford, St Pat's and Derry City. Rovers have gone undefeated since the 3-2 loss to Bohemians on Easter Monday. It got lost in the shock of Rhys Brennan's 96th-minute winner for Bohs, but Noonan scored his first league goal that day – a gliding 40-yard dribble and cool finish. The Rovers academy is producing a stream of talent since Gavin Bazunu was sold to Manchester City in 2019. The imminent sale of 16-year-old Victor Ozhianvuna, potentially to Arsenal, could involve a seven-figure fee. Both Ozhianvuna and Noonan were among the five Hoops named in Colin O'Brien's Republic of Ireland under-17 squad ahead of November's World Cup in Qatar. The kids are flying. However, throughout this decade of groundbreaking success, there have been three constants on the pitch: Lopes, Dylan Watts and Graham Burke. Others made significant contributions, like Dan Cleary and Danny Mandroiu, while Jack Byrne constantly struggled with calf and knee issues. This season, however, Byrne has six assists in eight games, proving that his technical excellence is permanent. But it is Lopes, Watts and Burke who define this Shamrock Rovers era. Galway United's Vincent Borden (right) jumps for a header with Dylan Watts of Shamrock Rovers during a league match this season. Photograph: Evan Logan/Inpho Lopes has been so defensively solid over the past five years that his father's country, Cape Verde, took him to the 2021 and 2023 Africa Cup of Nations Cup. Watts is the midfield glue, playing all 18 matches during the Covid-restricted 2020 title-winning season. He maintained a remarkable level of consistency to be voted the PFAI Players' Player of the Year in 2024. Burke is another ever present. The 31-year-old's silky style covered the wait for McGovern and injury to Mandroiu, with six goals and five assists putting him on course to better 2018, his best statistical season, when he had 16 goals and six assists (numbers that earned him three senior caps). Rovers' return to the top of the Premier Division has them six points clear of Drogheda United while Shelbourne are nine points adrift in sixth. That's an 18-point swing away from Damien Duff's team in 12 months. Bradley has turned the tide at a critical juncture. A domestic cushion is needed ahead of, possibly, eight Conference League qualifiers from early July to late August. Mid-season, Rovers are in fine fettle. The rest have lacked consistency although Drogheda, under Kevin Doherty, backed up their FAI Cup success by showing the value of becoming a fully professional squad. After this stage last season, the Drogs languished in the relegation play-off spot with 15 points. Currently, they are second on 29 points. Moses Dyer, Galway United's New Zealand international, leads the scoring charts on eight goals, one clear of Sligo Rovers teenager Owen Elding. Burke is joined on six by Derry City winger Michael Duffy, Drogheda revelation Warren Davis and the Tottenham Hotspur-bound Mason Melia. Like Noonan, Melia recently found his groove with four goals in four games for St Patrick's Athletic, including a bullet header against Cork City that might become his calling card.
Irish Times
7 days ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Shamrock Rovers sign former Down footballer John McGovern
Shamrock Rovers have allayed concerns at centre forward by signing former Down footballer John McGovern from Dungannon Swifts for an undisclosed fee. McGovern, who scored 20 goals in all competitions for Swifts last season, will be available for Rovers from July 1st. The 22-year-old, who represented Northern Ireland at under-21 level, played for the Down senior football in 2024. 'We tried quite a bit over the last year to get him, but it wasn't possible,' said Rovers manager Stephen Bradley. 'John was at university and Dungannon weren't ready to sell at that moment in time. READ MORE 'We could have moved in on other players in the previous window, but we wanted to wait for John as he was someone we'd monitored for quite some time. He fits the group and we really like what he's about.' Rovers have been searching for a striker to replace Johnny Kenny, who scored 20 goals last year on loan from Celtic. Sixteen-year-old Michael Noonan has impressed with five goals this season while competing with Aaron Greene and Rory Gaffney for game time. 'John will give us real depth in that area of the pitch and he gives us another dimension,' Bradley added.
The Irish Sun
7 days ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Shamrock Rovers snap up Northern Ireland Under-21s goal-getter as Stephen Bradley gives exciting verdict
SHAMROCK ROVERS have made their first summer signing by agreeing a deal to take Dungannon Swifts striker John McGovern to Tallaght. The 22-year-old will move to Dublin 24 on July 1 after the Hoops agreed a fee for the Northern Ireland Under-21 striker. Advertisement 2 Despite his young age, he's already built up quite the CV 2 Stephen Bradley revealed the Hoops have been keeping tabs on him for some time He netted 20 goals in all competitions last season, including a goal in the Irish Cup final as Dungannon beat Cliftonville to win their first major silverware in their history. And Rovers' boss Stephen Bradley revealed the striker - who made his debut for Newry City when 17 - has been on his radar for quite some time. He said: 'We were up quite a lot to watch John. We tried quite a bit over the last year to get him, but it wasn't possible. 'John was at university and Dungannon weren't ready to sell at that moment in time. Advertisement Read More On Irish Football "So, it was a case of continuing to monitor John and thankfully we've got him in now. 'We could have moved in on other players in the previous window, but we wanted to wait on John as he was someone we'd monitored for quite some time. 'He fits the group, has a good age profile and we really like what he's about. So we waited and now we got it done.' While McGovern scored a goal every other game last season, Bradley insisted that Rovers are signing more than just a traditional No. 9. Advertisement Most read in Football Exclusive He said: 'I don't think out and out poachers can play in this team, as silly as that sounds, I don't think they can. 'There's so much more we ask of our forwards to do and be involved in. So John isn't just an out and out goal scorer. Rasmus Hojlund leaves Man Utd fans unimpressed in training video with Angryginge 'If you watch him, he's got a bit of everything, he's someone we really like and he's a really good person and we can't wait to get working with him.'
Irish Times
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Shamrock Rovers show their mettle, Duff's gamble pays off – what we learned from Friday night's League of Ireland action
Shamrock Rovers do what champions do With 25 minutes to go at the Brandywell, Danny Mullen put it up to Shamrock Rovers. Swept in behind by Carl Winchester, the Derry striker dinked a lovely finish over Ed McGinty, pointedly testing the mettle of the league leaders. After swatting St Pat's aside in a formidable 4-0 win on Monday, this was a different challenge for Rovers, and one they duly embraced. Just minutes after falling behind, Pico Lopes sensed an opportunity from distance. His sprayed lob was tipped on to the crossbar by Brian Maher, but the save proved little more than a backboard alley-oop for Michael Noonan, who was unmarked as he headed the rebound into the corner. Shamrock Rovers manager Stephen Bradley celebrates after their win over Derry City. Photograph: Lorcan Doherty/Inpho A point would have been a fine result on the road in Derry, but Rovers are in no mood to settle these days. It was a returning son, Aaron McEneff, that pinched a late winner , slotting a Danny Grant cutback under the feet of Maher. McEneff cupped his ears and goaded the home support – perhaps a sign of the ruthless streak that is once more revealing itself at the heart of the Rovers machine. Five wins on the bounce and a six point gap now at the top of the table. Mason Melia is a special talent As if it needed saying. Having passed his driving test earlier in the day, Mason Melia underlined his precocious talent once more as St Pat's laboured to a 2-2 draw at home to Waterford. READ MORE A five-minute spell at Richmond Park on Friday evening was evidence enough for why Tottenham Hotspur are happy to pay close to €2 million for Melia. At 17, he looks faster, sharper and smarter than most of the players around him. His goals were devastating, both zipped into the bottom left corner past a helpless Stephen McMullan after the striker had pounced on the defensive uncertainty his presence instils. Mason Melia on his way to scoring his St Pat's second goal. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/INpho In a Pat's side blessed with some of the best and most experienced footballers in the League of Ireland, Melia looks like a talisman. This was another poor display from Stephen Kenny's men overall. Far from a motivated, wounded beast after their Monday night drubbing in Tallaght, the home side looked downtrodden and lacklustre. Waterford were fully deserving of a point and will accept it given Conan Noonan's well taken equaliser came with just 10 minutes left to play, but John Coleman will feel his side could have taken more. Shels find scoring touch Having watched his side toil towards two goals in their last five games, Damien Duff changed tack on Friday night at Tolka Park, bringing in John Martin to lead Shelbourne's line. He'd have taken a goal in return, but Martin rewarded him with three. The Kilkenny native had Evan Caffrey to thank for his first-half brace – his two inswinging crosses from the left flank were pacy and inviting. Martin's finishing was neat on both occasions, a level of composure that Duff has been desperate for in recent weeks. Shelbourne's John Martin celebrates scoring a hat-trick. Photograph: James Lawlor/Inpho Neat can't describe the hat-trick goal, which broke from a cluttered bundle of legs in the six-yard box. Martin emerged from the pile long enough to persuade the ball to trickle past Sam Sargeant and make it 3-1. It was a moment so disorderly that just a minute later, the game was rewarded with a goal of the season contender. Owen Elding, finding a pocket of space 30 yards out, unleashed a left-footed blast that the Tolka Park camera could barely keep up with. Lorcan Healy certainly couldn't, despite diving admirably after the ball. Unfortunately for Sligo, they couldn't build on it enough to take something from the game. An admirable effort, but they and Cork are well adrift of the pack. Stalwarts bring Galway reprieve When things aren't going well, it can help to turn to those you trust. Conor McCormack and Stephen Walsh were two of Galway United's heroes on the 2023 promotion trail, but through injury and rotation, both have watched much of this season from the sidelines. It was an unlikely double act that combined off the bench for a vital winner at Eamonn Deacy Park, ending Galway's run of four defeats on the spin. The home side looked low on confidence throughout the first half and could easily have found themselves behind. Clubs in England are reported to be circling Cork's Cathal O'Sullivan, and the young winger will be hoping none were watching on the cusp of half time. A defensive mix-up between Garry Buckley and Evan Watts afforded O'Sullivan a wide-open goal but, under some pressure from Greg Cunningham, he fired glaringly wide. Cork City manager Gerard Nash dejected after their 2-1 defeat to Galway United. Photograph: Bryan Keane/Inpho In a tight game, the opener arrived at the start of the second period. It was Moses Dyer's handiwork, the striker jinking neatly to the byline and attempting a cutback. Deflected, the ball looped over Tein Troost and somehow trickled in – arbiters of dubious goals may ultimately deny the league's top scorer, but Dyer's effort was decisive. Galway's lead lasted just moments. Jeannot Esua was harshly adjudged to have handled the ball just inside the penalty area, and Djenairo Daniels converted. Cork looked decent value for a point, but John Caulfield found inspiration in his old guard. With five minutes to go, an onrushing McCormack was 40 yards further forward than usually permitted. Walsh, with his back to goal, hid his surprise at the sight of his team-mate and teed him up for an emphatic finish. McCormack leapt into Caulfield's arms in celebration, marking an embrace between two former Cork City men, as Galway moved up to seventh. Elsewhere, in a close fought game at Sullivan & Lambe Park, Drogheda United edged out Bohemians by a goal to nil.
