James Morgan sets you up for the week in sport

It’s a big week for Irish and Welsh clubs in Europe

AND by extension that means it’s a big week for some familiar names. Take a look through the squad lists of those sides involved in this week’s Champions League and Europa League qualifiers and you will be reminded of some of those who have graced Scotland’s top flight, and some who played further down the ladder.

There’s former Celtic prodigy John Herron who will play for Larne against St Joseph’s of Gibraltar in Europa League qualification and former St Johnstone goalkeeper Alan McManus who will likely keep goal for Shamrock Rovers against Hibernians in the Champions League, a competition that also features The New Saints against Linfield. The Welsh outfit’s attack is led by former Morton and Dunfermline striker Declan McManus but the most notable contingent of former SPFL players can be found in Linfield’s squad.

Manager David Healy could field almost an entire starting line-up from this lot: Daniel Finlayson (on loan from St Mirren), Eetu Vertainen (on loan from St Johnstone), Chris McKee (ex-Rangers), Conor Pepper (ex-Morton and Inverness), Cammy Palmer (ex-Rangers), Kyle McClean (ex-St Johnstone), Ben Hall (formerly Falkirk and Motherwell) and Sam Roscoe (ex-Ayr and Aberdeen).

Speaking of familiar names

YOU might have noticed something that rang a bell late last week if you’d been keeping an eye on the transfer business of English Championship clubs, then again perhaps not, because frankly who does that? Well, the Monday Kick-off actually and a good job, too, because how else would you know that Vakoun Issouf Bayo was back in Britain plying his trade?

You have got to hand it to the Ivory Coast striker’s agent for managing to convince another manager on these shores to take a punt on him after his disastrous spell at Celtic from 2018 until 2020.

The 6ft Bayo cut an awkward, ponderous figure at Parkhead and managed to score precisely two goals in his 16 games for the club. It was little surprise that he was allowed to go on loan to Toulouse in Ligue 2 where his record was significantly better before he was sold to Gent for a loss of half a million quid. He made just three appearances for the Belgian side before he was loaned out again and he proceeded to score a healthy 11 goals in 19 games whereupon Watford have just spent £5m on his signature for next season.

Now just plain old

Vakoun Bayo having dropped the “Issouf” from his name let’s hope the rebrand has done the trick.

TOMORROW