Dublin are not cheats, we abide by the rules as best we can
SO FAR, this season has been a rocky road for Shamrock Rovers but the paths taken by two of their most prized assets illustrates perfectly how there are different ways to strike gold through the League of Ireland.
Graham Burke is the joint-top scorer in the Premier Division and his ninth of the campaign against Cork City on Monday will be in with a shout of making the shortlist for goal of the season provided one of his other wonder strikes doesn’t get the nod.
The 24-year-old returned from England before the start of last season and was broken down mentally by his experiences across the water.
He joined Aston Villa aged 16, had loan spells with Shrewsbury Town and Notts County before joining the latter permanently after his parent club opted against renewing his contract.
‘He just got lost in the system over there. When that happens, you lose faith in what you have and what made you the player you are,’ Rovers manager Stephen Bradley said after Burke was named SSE Airtricity/Soccer Writers’ player of the month for March.
He has rediscovered his confidence, although it has been a far from straightforward process. His temper got the better of him last season as he returned to Dublin seeking redemption and rejuvenation. A battle many before him can relate to.
His debut away to Dundalk in February of last year was the perfect case in point. He came off the bench in the 69th minute, scored a clever goal in the 76th and was sent off three minutes later for kicking Jamie McGrath while he was already on the ground.
That madness has been curbed in 2018 — just one yellow card to date — but none of his attacking instincts have been dulled.
Conversely, the emergence of midfielder Aaron Bolger, who only turned 18 in February and will sit his Leaving Certificate next month through the club’s partnership with a Dublin school, was hailed by Bradley after his starring role in Monday’s 3-0 win over the champions.
He is a teenager who has not yet been exposed to the rigours of England but is nonetheless living as a professional in Dublin, training every morning with Rovers before carrying out his studies in the afternoons.
Burke’s journey may be one which is much more common for so many on these shores but the talented Bolger could yet forge a new, more attainable path.