RESPECT YOUR ELDERS
Pat’s ace Redmond living the dream with boyhood heroes
CHRIS FORRESTER and Ian Bermingham won’t appreciate reminders that they are elder statesmen in the St Pat’s dressing room.
But the Saints stalwarts felt positively ancient after a conversation with the club’s rising defensive ace Joe Redmond (right).
The St Pat’s first-team players were the star attractions at a recent Easter camp for kids, run by the club when Redmond, 22, dropped the bomb.
As the children raced in and around them, Redmond casually revealed that he was once in their shoes at a similar camp, chasing ‘Bermo and Git’ for autographs.
“They’re still playing on – and now I’m playing with them,” he beamed ahead of tonight’s big clash with leaders Derry City.
It’s fair to say then that Redmond is actually living the dream as he steps out this season for the club he supported as a kid.
Kilnamanagh in Tallaght isn’t known as a St Pat’s hotbed, not when it’s Shamrock Rovers heartland.
But growing up, Redmond idolised former Saints star and fellow Kilnamanagh man Conor Kenna.
“I’d have seen him around the area thinking he was a big superstar and when you’re younger you look up to players like that.”
Older brother Stephen would bundle Joe onto the Luas and the pair travelled down the red line to Inchicore for St Pat’s matches.
It was before he moved to England when Redmond’s own talents were recognised by Birmingham City in 2016.
“We used to sit in the main stand here,” he said, sitting in one of the club’s offices at Richmond Park.
“I was 13, 14, 15, 16 and even when I’d come home in the summer I’d go to the games as it’s great of an evening to come down and support the team.
“My brother has always been a Pat’s fan and I just got going to the games with him and his mates.
“Now, it’s great to actually be on the pitch. They all come to the games, the whole family.
“Stephen still sits in the same spot in the stands and kicks every ball with me, and when I go back to the house after the game we talk about it.”
Redmond - who had a loan spell at Cork City beleague fore joining Drogheda United from Birmingham in August – is making great strides in the heart of the Saints defence.
And he will have his hands full tonight trying to keep Derry City ace Jamie Mcgonigle under wraps.
Mcgonigle brought his tally to seven goals for the season with a hat-trick in last week’s 7-1 demolition of UCD.
But Redmond revealed that the Candystripes attacker is not the toughest player he has come up against this season.
“He’s scored a few good goals and he holds it up well when he’s not the biggest. Him and [ James] Akintunde upfront are very good, they work well in a pair. The last time we managed them well bar two shots outside the box and if we get out and block them then it’s a whole different game.
“But when you play Shamrock Rovers, they’ve got a lot of rotation and they’ve got Rory Gaffney who can hold it up and play.
“I’ve played against Gaffney twice in the league and he’s a big presence and runs in behind you, comes short and then you have runners off him as well.
“It’s one of those where you have to go or stay and you have to make your mind up in a second. There are a lot of good quality strikers in the league.”
But Redmond added: “I feel like I’ve progressed so much. Just seeing things that I wouldn’t have got playing under-23s in England. I’m just trying to soak it up.”