Rogers targeting Euro impact after second double

AFTER his second double in four seasons with the club, Dundalk goalkeeper Gary Rogers is targeting another European adventure next year.

The 37-year-old has been in magnificent form this season, conceding just 19 goals between the league and cup. Now he hopes this season’s success can be a stepping stone to bigger and better things like it was when he last lifted the FAI Cup in 2015.

‘You have to be thinking that way,’ he said when the prospect of another European breakthrough was put to him

‘You have to want to go and win trophies and do well in Europe. The European success that we had two years ago is something that we want to replicate again next year and that’s the target that you have to set yourself. You have to aim for them, for the real big days in Europe, and to achieve them you have to put in the hard yards all season long and make sacrifices in order to do that but this group has been excellent and all these players, to a man, have made them sacrifices throughout the year and we’ve got the double in the bag.

‘It’s the one major thing that this league can give you. There’s not a lot of Irish players playing in Europe and we’ve got the opportunity nearly every single year to go and play in Europe and test ourselves against the best talent there is.

‘We’ve done well in that department with the exception of a bad half this year but on the whole we’ve coped really well in Europe and acquitted ourselves really well over a number of years. That will be the challenge again next year to go and do that.’

For now Rogers will enjoy the double success, insisting it feels extra special to lift the Cup after defeats in 2016 and 2017.

‘It’s fantastic. Obviously we were disappointed last year and personally I was very disappointed so to come back and perform the way we have all season – it’s not just a one off here, it’s been all season long.

‘We won the league a couple of weeks ago and now we’ve come along and won the double and it’s an incredible feeling to do that. It has been a terrific season so the elation is fantastic. That’s why you play football, it’s for days like this. It’s one to enjoy.

‘Last year’s defeat was probably worse than the year before because the previous year we had games to come in Europe whereas last year you had the long off season to deliberate and ask questions of yourself.

‘It’s great to be on the other side of it this year but in order to stay there you have to work as hard as ever and that will be my intention and the intention of the rest of the group to come back as strong as ever next year and try to retain them trophies because that’s always the challenge,’ said Rogers.