Stephen Bradley

One more that seems to have been whispered in the last 24 hours is Shamrock Rovers manager Stephen Bradley. He’s a former Arsenal trainee, born in Dublin, who spent his playing career with the likes of Drogheda United, Falkirk, Shamrock, St Patrick’s Athletic and Limerick. He’s only 37, but in 2016 he took over as head coach of Shamrock Rovers and has done a solid job there. In 2019, he guided them to second place in the League of Ireland and secured their first trophy in eight years with an FAI Cup win. In 2020 he took them to a league title, their first in nine years. That set them up for a European tie with AC Milan, a game they only lost 2-0. He took them to another title the following season, and another European adventure, beating Slovan Bratislava at home. Currently, they’re second in the table, hunting for more glory.

He’s also got a reputation in Ireland for his development of young players and has spoken passionately about the League of Ireland as a breeding ground for young talent. He’s clearly a man who fits the remit, but would come at a cost. However, with young Irish players such as Oisin Gallagher, Sean Roughan and Anthony Scully hopefully key to our squad going forward, he could be a good choice.