Stephen Bradley, who turned down the chance to pursue the Lincoln City job in 2022, has been linked with the managerial vacancy at Scottish Premiership side Hibernian.
The Shamrock Rovers boss is reportedly under consideration following the departure of David Gray last week. According to the Irish Sun, the 41-year-old is back in the frame at Easter Road, having previously been linked before Nick Montgomery’s appointment in 2023.
Bradley is believed to be open to the move, although the timing could prove awkward with Rovers involved in a tight title race.
For City supporters, his name will bring back memories of our search for Michael Appleton’s successor just over four years ago. Bradley was heavily linked with the vacancy before publicly confirming he would remain in Ireland, leaving us to continue looking elsewhere, and eventually settle on Mark Kennedy.
As we reported at the time, he acknowledged our interest in a statement released through Shamrock Rovers. While he spoke about eventually wanting to work abroad, he felt there was more to achieve at Tallaght.
“I would like to thank Lincoln City for expressing an interest in speaking to me about their vacant managerial position.”
He went on to explain why he was staying:
“Like every manager and coach I one day have an ambition to test myself in different countries and at different levels of the game. But right now, I am very happy to stay and continue my work at Shamrock Rovers. I love this club and I feel that our work here is not yet complete.”
I felt it was a blow at the time. Bradley looked an attractive option on paper, a young coach with a growing reputation and a record of winning trophies, and my reaction in that original piece reflected the disappointment of seeing a potential appointment fall away.
His achievements since then have certainly strengthened his case for a job elsewhere. Rovers completed four successive league title wins between 2020 and 2023, added another in 2025 and reached the knockout stages of the 2024/25 Conference League, becoming the first Irish club to do so.
However, leaving now would mean walking away with another championship still in the balance. Rovers are second behind St Patrick’s Athletic on goal difference, with Bohemians only three points back in third as Bradley pursues a sixth title in seven seasons.
Hibs, meanwhile, are said to want an appointment as soon as this weekend, before their squad leaves for a training camp in La Manga on Saturday. A League Cup semi-final against Hearts on November 1 adds to the urgency, with that fixture falling the day after Rovers’ final league game against Dundalk.
That leaves an obvious difficulty if the interest develops into something concrete. Bradley could have the chance to take the step abroad he spoke about when we approached him, but waiting until his current title challenge is finished might not suit the club looking to appoint him.
There is no confirmed move at this stage, and we know from our own experience that interest in Bradley does not necessarily end with him leaving Tallaght. Still, more than four years after he opted against pursuing the City vacancy, it will be interesting to see whether Hibs can persuade him that the time is finally right.
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