Joe Redmond happy with home comforts at St Pat's
HAPPY: Joe Redmond says he is 'really enjoying' being at St Pat's. Pic: INPHO/Ben Brady
The temptation of wanderlust that has gripped his childhood teammates won’t be luring Joe Redmond from his happy place of St Patrick’s Athletic.
Promise Omochere has left Bohemians for Fleetwood, their neighbours Blackpool are pushing Shamrock Rovers hard to part with Andy Lyons for €250,000 but Redmond won’t be joining the exodus anytime soon.
They were all part of the same St Joseph’s Boys team, alongside Cork City’s Aaron Bolger and Brandon Kavanagh of Derry City, that reigned supreme through the underage ranks.
Redmond, as a central plank, earned a move to Birmingham City, where he played for five years, reaching the 2018 FA Youth Cup final against five-in-a-row winners Chelsea.
Cork City was his first loan destination, only for Covid-19 to restrict his exposure to the opening five games till the halt.
U23 level at Brum wasn’t going to fulfill his needs and so he trained with another team in Blue, Waterford, before committing to Drogheda United last August.
Tim Clancy handpicked his towering centre-back to accompany him to St Pat’s and they’ve got a shot at reaching the third round of the Conference League tonight.
They remain firmly in the tie against last year’s group phase participants NŠ Mura after battling back last Thursday to claim a 1-1 draw. It wasn’t earned by a late scramble. St Pat’s were superior for spells and Chris Forrester’s miss – after equalising – is one they won’t want to regret.
Redmond, who at 22 has been promoted to captain for the last two games, feels they won’t have to once they replicate their levels in this second leg.
It’s European occasions like this at the Fazanerija City Stadium that has Redmond glad of home comforts, content for the League of Ireland to engender the environment in which he craves to excel.
The desire to mirror Luke McNally’s journey of moving from Drogheda United to St Pat’s, onto Oxford United and a recent €1.6m transfer to Burnley can wait.
“I’m really enjoying it at St Patrick’s Athletic, so I’m not thinking about going anywhere else at the minute,” he said midway through a transfer window that has been unprecedented for Irish talent fleeing to the UK.
“Luke is doing very well for himself, fair play to him. I only just signed a contract extension here and the most important thing was getting out and playing men’s football because I stayed too long in the U23s.
“I wish I had left to experience games. That’s what I said I’d do and it was valuable for a young centre-back getting all those minutes at Drogheda.”
It helped prepare Redmond for the task of shackling Mirland Daku. The Kosovan international required only one defensive lapse to stick away the opener but his marker took a share of credit for otherwise quietening him.
On their home patch, where they scalped Tottenham in this competition last season, the Slovenians are likely to be fitter and sharper.
“I watched their win before our game but that was last season and Spurs had a man sent-off,” he explained.
“You’ve got to put that to one side and focus on what we can do as a team. The belief is there within our group to put in a performance and get through the tie.”
Their hosts are similarly confident, bullish even. Mura head coach Damir Čontala, who celebrates his 38th birthday on matchday, is of the view they have sussed the approach of their Irish visitors.
“Let’s see if St Pat’s can surprise us but that will be difficult for them,” he said. “In the first leg, they had their fans behind them, the referee on their side and they won the duels. We will impose our style on them in this leg.”
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
