Galway tyro McCormack familiar with incoming Rovers challenge

Conor McCormack knows all about Stephen Bradley and Shamrock Rovers – signed by the club to replace the midfielder all of 13 years ago – but the Galway United captain realises there’s no such danger for his job as Hoops manager.

Rovers visit a packed Eamonn Deacy Park as the chasers but slow starts to seasons has been a hallmark to their dominance of the title for the past four years.

Both joined Premier League heavyweights in their teens as midfield tyros – Bradley to the bright lights of Arsenal and McCormack angling to the Theatre of Dreams in Manchester – yet it’s on the League of Ireland circuit that they’ve each since excelled.

A double-winner with Cork City in 2017, McCormack is back in the Premier Division following a three-year absence, reunited with his ex-Rebel Army boss John Caulfield.

Seven points from their opening five games is a return they’d have accepted as a newly-promoted team.

The Tribesman skipper holds Bradley, five years his elder, in the highest regard but believes they possess the wherewithal to prolong the champions’ wait for their first victory.

“I actually played against all three of the Rovers managerial team – Stephen Bradley, Stephen McPhail and Glenn Cronin,” recounts McCormack.

“Stephen had gone to St Pat’s before I came in having won the league under Michael O’Neill in 2010.

“He was a quality player who the lads in the dressing-room spoke highly of. You could tell from the way he played how much real game-intelligence he had.

“We’ve had a few conversations over the years and he’s done amazingly well as manager. Winning four titles in a row is an incredible achievement but hopefully we can be on the right side of them on Friday.” 

Caulfield plumped for continuity this year by keeping