'It's a tough decision' - Waterford hero Ronan Coughan facing cross-channel choice

The Blues striker scored the goals that earned promotion to the top flight. 

STICK OR TWIST: Waterford’s Ronan Coughlan celebrates after the playoff against Cork City. INPHO/Ryan Byrne

Waterford’s promotion-clinching hero Ronan Coughlan admits an offer from the UK could sweep him away from the RSC.

It was the fitting that the striker’s penalty clinched the playoff 2-1 win over Cork City on Friday, concluding a record-breaking 37-goal haul for the Limerick man.

Coughlan only turned 27 last month but has been around the league for six years, between stints at Bray Wanderers, Cork City, Sligo Rovers, St Patrick’s Athletic and this year’s spell with the Blues.

It was, however, Huddersfield Town where his professional career began. Tadgh Ryan, Sam Warde and himself moved from Limerick in quick succession, all of whom ended up in the League of Ireland.

Coughlan has never lost his motivation to give England a go again. Prolific goalscorers are always in demand and the forward has personal reasons as well behind his reasoning.

After a couple of years in the shadows, he opted to drop into the First Division this year.

Using his own personal analyst, involving weekly post-match reviews, have proven effective this year too as a variety of goals have been nestled.

The contract extension offers tabled by Keith Long haven’t elicited a response yet and the their part of a multi-club package with Fleetwood Town as its flagship could open that avenue cross-channel as it did for last year’s standout, Phoenix Patterson.

“It's a tough decision,” he said about the dilemma he faces, with the Blues anxious to retain him for their first Premier season since 2021. “I've always had dreams of playing back over in the UK. My girlfriend is from the UK. That's been the dream, to play at the highest level I can. So I'm not sure what is going to happen. I've worked so hard behind the scenes that people wouldn't have seen it when I wasn't playing. You reap what you sow.

"I think there are a number of factors for this season’s success. I just needed to play games and get back into the groove of playing.

"I would have never said it would have gone this way to score so many goals. But I guess I just needed to get back into playing games.” 

Long has 10 players under contract going into next season, including teenager Romeo Akachukwu. He has Southampton circling but Chelsea and Manchester United are also monitoring the attacker ahead of him turning 18 in the summer, after which he can move to the UK.

That the club owner Andy Pilley was jailed for fraud in England just a couple of months after Long was appointed in March has altered the club’s operations, according to the manager. He’s already planning for next year’s top-flight.

“I won't be at Sunday’s FAI Cup final on Sunday because I'll be with the guys in Fleetwood planning for next year,” said Long, whose eight-year term as Bohemians manager came to an end just over a year ago.

“To be fair to the boys and the owners of the club, the financial people, operations, they've always been supportive and behind the team, they've been over as much as they can. They've had a difficult time of it as well. It hasn't been easy and promotion is a reward for them for the backing they've given the club.

“Jamie, Andy’s son, is running the club along with Steve Curwood, the CEO. Now we've got certainty in terms of the division we're in so we're looking forward to that.

“We're starting a little bit later than the rest in terms of recruitment but do have 10 players under contract for next year.

“We have to sign players of Premier Division quality to try and help us because, to be fair to the club, I think they'll support us and get behind us.

“They don't want to just survive in the Premier Division - they want to thrive and do well. Winning the playoff was for the people, the volunteers, who put in work for the club and put in endless hours. They do everything they can to help the club. You wouldn't be able to run clubs in this country without their input.”