Shamrock Rovers captain Ronan Finn has given up the chance of chasing an historic five-in-a-row of titles by deciding to rejoin his first club, UCD.
Off-field factors in the form of pursuing a masters degree are central to the move which will come after he receives his seventh Premier Division medal on Friday night.
Finn departed UCD in 2009, moving initially to FAI Cup holders Sporting Fingal and then Rovers before joining up with Stephen Kenny at Dundalk.
He surprisingly quit a Lilywhites side that had reached the Europa League group stages in 2016 to link up with his former teammate Stephen Bradley at Rovers and it would be three years before together they lifted a trophy, the 2019 FAI Cup.
Since then, four league titles in a row has been secured but at 35 the classy midfielder looked at the bigger picture when assessing his next move.
The Students will be in the First Division next year following confirmed relegation but the opportunity of combining his football with embarking on a sports management masters has lured him back to Belfield.
“It was a huge decision but this was a crossroads and I’ve gone full circle to finish my career at UCD,” he told the club’s official website.
“Looking at my time, the 2019 Cup was hard to top because it was the turning point.
“It’s an honour to captain Rovers from 2017, following tremendous captains of the past, and we’re now reaping the rewards of all the hard work and lows.” On Bradley, he said: “The club needs to ensure he stays in place for as long as they can. He’s the driving force and I can’t talk highly enough about what he’s done for my career.”
Another stalwart over two spells, goalkeeper Alan Mannus, will also sign off on his Rovers career at the trophylift
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