Shamrock Rovers: Everything you should know about TNS’ Conference League opponents
Action from Shamrock Rovers vs. Sligo Rovers in the League of Ireland Premier Division at the Tallaght Stadium on 28 April 2023. (Image:r FromMorningToMidnight/Wikimedia Commons)
The New Saints travel to the Tallaght Stadium in Dublin for the third game of the league phase in the UEFA Conference League.
TNS draw parallels to their opponents, who were also their country’s first ever group stage participants in 2011/12 when they competed in the Europa League.
Here’s all you need to know about Shamrock Rovers.
History
Shamrock Rovers are the Republic of Ireland’s most successful club, amassing 21 League of Ireland titles as well as 25 FAI Cups. They came close to adding to their trophy cabinet on Friday, as in the last game of the season they were two points behind Shelbourne, with superior goal difference.
Rovers did what they had to, winning against Waterford, but an 85th-minute goal by their Dublin rivals Shelbourne sent the title to them. Before the recent season, Rovers had won the past four titles in a row, following a nine-year absence at the top before their 2020 success.
They became the first ever Irish club to reach a European group stage in 2011, getting to the Europa League. They would go on to lose all six games, including two against Tottenham Hotspur, but the trailblazing nature of this season cannot be understated as there have since been other Irish teams reaching group stages, something which Welsh football will hope happens to them following TNS’ success so far this year.
Manager
Following an unstable period at the club following their 2011 success, Stephen Bradley took the reins of Rovers in 2016. For the first few years, he steadied the ship, giving young talent a proper development pathway, culminating in domestic success in 2019, with an FAI Cup win.
He would then lead them to title wins in 2020,2021,2022 and 2023 before missing out on the 2024 title on the last day.
As a player, Bradley was on the books at Arsenal as a youngster and played for Shamrock Rovers during the 2009/10 season.
Players to watch:
As the side with the honour of having produced the most Irish national team players out of any club, Rovers have had a storied history of bringing through young talent. Their top scorer of the past season was Johnny Kenny, a 21-year-old striker on loan from Celtic, who notched 13 goals in the league.
The Ireland under-21 international was a product of Sligo Rovers’ academy, but Shamrock Rovers have developed him this season into a top player for the level.
Another player to look out for is diminutive attacking midfielder Jack Byrne, who came through the ranks at Manchester City but has now established himself as one of the League of Ireland’s finest players since joining in 2022 and has appeared for the senior national team.
Byrne has had inconsistent minutes following a calf injury sustained at the start of the season but when on top form has a high threat.
Current European season:
They began in Champions League qualifying and have dropped to the Conference League in similar fashion to TNS. In the first qualifying round they scraped past Icelandic side Vikingur courtesy of their opponents missing a 90+8th minute penalty to take the tie to extra time.
They would then get battered 6-2 on aggregate to Sparta Prague, in a similar fashion to TNS’ thrashing defeat to Ferencvaros.
Rovers would then see off Slovenian side Celje in the Europa League third qualifying round 3-2 on aggregate, following a 1-0 defeat away from home. With TNS playing Celje away in their final Conference League game, this result against Shamrock Rovers could be compared to give an indication as to how they may fare against their Slovenian opponents.
This win would qualify Shamrock Rovers for the Europa League playoff round, where they were handed a tough draw to Greek giants PAOK, who dispatched their Irish opponents with ease, winning 6-0 on aggregate. This would qualify them for the Conference League group stage.
In their group stage campaign so far, they have 1-1 drawn at home to APOEL of Cyprus, and won 4-1 away to Northern Irish side Larne, also competing in their country’s first ever European group stage. This strong start to the group stage gives the indication that they are aiming for a knockout stage spot at a minimum and will be hoping that a win against TNS can bring them one step closer to this.
