Will Fitzgerald

But there was nice passages of play throughout that first half as well that you shouldn't forget about as well, showing that Roberts was definitely in there.

Will Fitzgerald had a nice ball, kind of a nice and neat ball in for John McGovern again.

Keeper kind of punched it away, but he didn't deal with it.

and as well and then like that was around the time that the goal comes just before it so like you know rovers where like there was check like don't get wrong don't know how their chances as well and at times probably shouldn't shouldn't have had so much space but

And it kind of makes you think how big of an achievement that was for Shells to win the league the way they did.

But the way they're all speaking now off the back of Shamrock Rovers basically winning this title and the way the board and everything are aligned and the signings that they're talking about getting, I do think that if Shamrock Rovers can manage to kind of, you know, pass on some of the older players or aging players at this stage and bring in some quality players to kind of add to that now they obviously did that with players like will fitzgerald who i do think will come good next season be far bigger players same with john mcgovern i know he's been there a while but i think he'll become a bigger player jonathan affelabi so there's a few there that i think will become bigger players next year the loss of michael newton the loss of ozian vuna can they spend that money on on players that will help them on the On the now, you know, Graham Burke's not getting any younger, Aaron Green's not getting any younger.

So these sort of players eventually will have to see, you know, they'll eventually have to see them off, won't they? And then you kind of wonder, can they do that? You know, and how is that going to affect them going forward? Because they obviously have such a good...

You know, Graeme Burke's probably, he's in the argument to being the best League of Ireland player of all time.

I think any young kids watching football or trying to get better, just if you're learning how to shield or protect the ball, Graeme Burke is your man to look at.

Look, we're not going to spend the whole... next year when it's you know picking out every player but like just quickly I suppose on some of the signings or you know signings that maybe came in halfway through last season Vinnie like Sabo Wiley comes in great impact John McGovern as you've mentioned already I think he's really especially in the second half of the season he's kind of grown into this Rovers team and shown maybe what he can provide next year Will Fitzgerald did his bit coming midway through the season.

Never an easy thing to do to come into a good side and try and have an impact.

And then the Stephens, of course, coming in at the start of the season.

Yeah, absolutely.

I mean, in different sporadic moments, like at times at the end of Stephens, we didn't think, you know, where was he at the start? And he found his place and then he came in and done his stuff.

Will Fitzgerald, we were all excited about.

Adam Brennan started the season on fire and then sort of tailed off.

Obviously, he came on on Friday.

He didn't start, but he came on at halftime actually as well for Will Fitzgerald.

On Friday and see him celebrating and the smile on his face, you know, it means to supporters and that means a great deal too, doesn't it? Really, I said the year he's had and stuff.

But yeah, look, I think the fact that he's still going, puts on that jersey on a weekly basis.

So there is plenty there that might transpire.

Obviously, Will Fitzgerald up against his former side.

Yeah.

He done well when he came on Adam Brennan done well when he came on I know as I was saying critics were out for him in the lead up to a Galway chance in that second half on Friday but Overall, yeah.

And up front we'll have John McGovern.

On the bench for Rovers this evening is Lee Stacy, reserve goalkeeper; Aaron Greene; Luke O'Regan; Jonathan Afolabi; uh, Adam Brennan; uh, Danny Grant; Will Fitzgerald; John O'Sullivan; and Corey O'Sullivan.

So of course Shamrock Rovers a formidable outfit, clear at the, uh, top of the table.

And, uh [swallows], well, for Galway United, of course, every match is crucial.

Look, Shamrock Rovers with the squad they have, I mean, if you, if you look who's on the bench this evening, Aaron Greene, well he's no teenager either.

Uh, Adam Brennan is a good young player coming up.

Danny Grant, uh, Will Fitzgerald who they signed from Sligo, you know?

Yeah.

And that was first losing the manager, like you said, on the 13th of that month, John Russell to Shelburne.

And then 15 days later to lose Will Fitzgerald was massive, despite getting €75,000 for him, which was a huge fee to accrue.

But I'll take you back to that was the 28th of July.

you're on the Sligo beat.

What were you feeling then?

Yeah, I think when Fitzgerald went, that was probably the moment when people were sort of like, OK, that's relegation, it is coming.

Because not only is Will Fitzgerald an exceptional player, but he was captain and...

I think Darren Purse needed Will Fitzgerald in the dressing room because he led by example.

So obviously when the league is over, he'll either stay around and move those players on or he'll leave and probably have a pop at certain players before he goes.

it's out of there they lost their manager midway through the season they lost their captain Will Fitzgerald there's a lot of upheaval But it's an easy thing to do to put it on the players, isn't it? I think they're poor comments and like Jan said, it's frustrating because they've been so poor since Darren has come in.

They usually get a little bounce back when a manager does come into the team and it didn't happen for Sligo at all.

They're ending up nearly being the whipping boys of the division, which is poor.

That was, of course, on Thursday night.

Will Fitzgerald comes in on the left-hand side midfield for them.

For Bohs, there are four changes from that defeat to Waterford.

We perhaps suspected a couple of them were coming.