‘Dundalk is a fantastic club but it’s not Shamrock Rovers’ – Finn
NINE months have passed since Ronan Finn made the shock decision to leave Dundalk for Shamrock Rovers. Tomorrow, he will travel back up the M1 for a game that will have a big say in how the two clubs’ respective seasons are remembered.
There are no regrets about a move that took his old boss Stephen Kenny by surprise and exacerbated the pain of losing Daryl Horgan and Andy Boyle.
Finn had starred for Dundalk in the tail end of their Europa League adventure and was their best player in the FAI Cup final defeat to Cork City at the Aviva in the middle of their hectic schedule. They have missed him this season.
His job at Oriel Park tomorrow is to stop Dundalk from returning to the national stadium.
Rovers were once the cup specialists but haven’t lifted the trophy since 1987 so their motivation is clear with young boss Stephen Bradley looking to prolong his first full season.
For Dundalk, who prevailed in the EA Sports Cup final meeting between the sides earlier this month, the opportunity to complete a cup double would soften the blow of relinquishing the title crown to Cork.
Finn will always speak fondly of his time with the Louth club. It’s not in his nature to stir the pot. But at the same time, he remains firm about his reasons for returning to Rovers and says that his decision is vindicated every single day when he reports for work at their new Roadstone training complex.
Rovers are likely to finish third this season, some distance behind the top two, but their captain is convinced it will be a different story next term.
The trophy count will ultimately be used to judge his move, but it was the overall package that swayed him.
He smiles when a recent tweet from Hoops striker Gary Shaw is mentioned. “A goal was scored today in training,” he wrote. “It started with McPhail who played out wide to Duff who in turn crossed for Keane to finish.”
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Robbie Keane’s frequent presence at Roadstone, where he has linked up with his pals on the coaching staff to keep fit ahead of his move to India, has added to the job satisfaction.
“Every part of that sentence just vindicates the decision even more,” says Finn. “Dundalk is a fantastic club, but it’s not Shamrock Rovers.
“With all due respect to Dundalk and the people there, they just can’t do what Shamrock Rovers can do in terms of infrastructure, the youth academy and everything that goes with it.
“I genuinely wake up every morning and feel privileged at 29 to have a three-year contract and be working with the staff every morning, with Damien Duff, with Stephen McPhail, you feel lucky.
“I think people who realise the game and understand football know the reasons I moved.
“Potentially, people who tune in and watch League of Ireland now and again or maybe watched Dundalk play Europa League football might have found it (a surprise) but for me it was a decision that I’d make ten times over because I was lucky enough to play at Rovers before and know the potential there.”
League wins over the top two have boosted the confidence levels and, in truth, Rovers are a good way off the pace in third spot because of an erratic start to the season.
The ship has been steadied, with a youthful look to the side increasing optimism about what comes next.
Finn expects more recruitment at senior level in tandem with working on the production line.
Like Dundalk and Cork, Rovers are also likely to be challenged by losing star men to overseas with exciting left-sided player Trevor Clarke sure to be in demand.
“Trevor will have a price tag and if a club wants to pay it, they have to agree the terms and then there has to be the next Trevor Clarke coming through,” he says. “Shane Robinson (Academy Director) has done an unbelievable job. I cannot stress how much that man has worked to get the academy to where it is.
As a youngster, Finn had his own dreams about making it across the water.
But as his 30th birthday approaches, and he grapples with real life problems like sourcing a house and planning a wedding, a secure contract in his home city feels like a pretty decent outcome.
“Right now is an unbelievable time for me,” he says. “You want medals, and that’s something that will come with Rovers over the next couple of years, I’ve no doubt about that. Hopefully in a month’s time, we’ll have our first together with this group.”