Kenny comes home to Tallaght

STEPHEN KENNY, the new manager of Shamrock Rovers, has said that he wouldn’t have left Derry City for any other League of Ireland club.

“To be honest, I didn’t think I would leave Derry for anyone in Ireland,” he said, on the first day of his three-year contract with the champions. “But circumstances changed. What Shamrock Rovers have going here is very exciting and because I’m coming home as well, it’s a new period for me.”

The reference to home relates to the fact that Kenny hails from Tallaght and, indeed, played football for his school on a pitch on the very site where Tallaght Stadium now stands. However, Kenny admitted it was still a wrench for him to leave Derry and also for his young family to uproot from their home in Donegal. But the call of the league champions proved irresistible as, for the first time in his managerial career, Kenny finds himself taking over a club at the top of the tree.

Which begs the question — can there be a next level for a League of Ireland club which has won back-to-back titles and qualified for the group stage of the Europa League? “Shamrock Rovers won two rounds last year and got into the group stages — five other clubs have won two rounds,” Kenny pointed out. “What was extraordinary was the result against Partizan Belgrade which, of course, got them into the group stages. Can it be done again? It’s very difficult and you don’t want to set unrealistic targets but you have to aspire to things as well. And you have believe that it is possible. I believed it was possible before it happened, whereas a lot of cynical people felt it would never happen.

“But, listen, we’ve got to concentrate first and foremost domestically. St Pats have strengthened, Cork are very strong coming up this year, Sligo will be strong, Derry too and Shelbourne. So we’ll have a real fight on our hands. You’ll have to earn everything.”

Kenny conceded that probably the minimum target for the Hoops has to retain the title but, perhaps of no less importance to the Rovers faithful — some of whom still grumble about Michael O’Neill’s tactical approach, despite all his success at the club — is that the team goes about its business in a style befitting the club’s rich history.

“It’s not for me to comment on how people view Rovers at the moment — they have been successful and you have to give credit for that,” said Kenny. “But, yeah, from my point of view I want good players who can pass the ball. I like players the in final third who can really get at teams. I want my defenders to be comfortable in possession. And I want the team to be a really attacking team that will entertain.

“But I don’t have such a huge ego that I feel the need to change everything at once or put my print on the team by making lots of changes just for the sake of change. There were a lot of very good attributes to the team last season. But I’ve got to look to the future now and try to improve the team. Because you can’t stand still.”

In particular, Kenny noted that Rovers will need fresh blood following the departure of full-back Enda Stevens to Aston Villa and with Karl Sheppard possibly en route to Reading. On the basis that they needed to prevent them being nabbed by other clubs, Kenny said he had no problem with the Rovers board having already re-signed players before his appointment, among them Chris Turner who was banned for three games for directing “offensive comments” at Derry’s Eamon Zayed last season when Kenny was in charge at the Brandywell. However, the new manager indicated the case is a closed issue for him.

“What’s done is done. The suspension has been served and you can’t dwell on these things. You have to move on. Ultimately, it’s a fresh start.”

With Michael O’Neill being installed as Northern Ireland’s new boss, Kenny, had warm words for his predecessor. “It’s a great job for him,” said Kenny. “Having played for his country, managing his country is a great opportunity , of course, I wish him well.”