St Pat's captain thinks Stephen Kenny would be good appointment
St.Pats' Joe Redmond. Picture: ©INPHO/Tom Maher
Captain Joe Redmond thinks Stephen Kenny’s appointment would be good for St Patrick’s Athletic but he’s still reeling from the shock sacking of Jon Daly.
Redmond was among the players informed via a group message on Tuesday morning that Daly had been dismissed by owner Garrett Kelleher just six months after he’d masterminded an FAI Cup triumph and third place finish in the league.
Various theories have surfaced for Kelleher acting so swiftly and decisively within hours of Monday’s 1-0 defeat at Sligo Rovers, foremost that an alternative boss was in the sights of the billionaire benefactor.
Kelleher has placed Kenny, himself sacked as Ireland manager in November, at the top of his targets and negotiations on a prospective homecoming to the club his coaching career began at, while slow, have not been aborted.
Redmond was anointed as club captain in 2022 at the age of just 24, lifting that Cup at Lansdowne Road, and is currently sidelined with an ankle injury he’ll be at least three weeks away from shaking off.
Daly’s sidekick Sean O’Connor will take temporary charge for Friday’s trip to champions Shamrock Rovers but a permanent boss, be it Kenny or another candidate such as Stephen Rice, is expected by the following weekend when they host both Derry City and Shelbourne over three days.
“I’ve not spoken to anybody about who the club are talking to but Stephen has a lot of experience in the league and managed Ireland,” admitted Redmond, a former teammate of Jude Bellingham during their time together at Birmingham City’s U21s.
“We were told on our day off Tuesday and when we got back training on Wednesday, it was all about looking to Friday’s game. The next game is so important that we can’t sulk or moan about anything. We’ve to be together in this situation to take anything from the game.” Although appreciative of the ruthlessness managers are subject to, Redmond was feeling the agony of his boss being unceremoniously dumped.
“I spoke to Jon on Tuesday,” he revealed.
“I thanked him for everything he did for me, how much trust and belief in me, even when I was injured, keeping my confidence high.
“For the group he did a lot of good things for us on the pitch. Off the pitch, he was someone you could talk to about personal problems.
“Jon put in so much hard work, day in and day out, never leaving a stone unturned. He gave everything to the club.
“He was disappointed because he wanted to take us to the next level. And he never stopped, right up to the last whistle of the Sligo game. He tried to push us to get the most out of us. He’ll be disappointed as he believed in the group. That’s one thing he instilled in us, to believe. And that was cut short.”
So too was Redmond’s momentum when he hobbled off on April 22 against Derry, one of the seven defeats in 15 matches that cost Daly his job after just 12 months.
“I‘ve had scans of my ankle and it’s more down to pain threshold,” he explained of his ligament trouble.
“When it’s on your good foot, passing, jumping and landing, you feel it all the time but there’s no surgery required, just rest. I missed our European games last summer but won’t this time.”
He’ll be sporting new boots when he doesn’t grace the pitch again, thanks to a sponsorship between retailer Sports Direct that allows Players FAI (PFAI) membership of 350 receive a €200 voucher towards their footwear. They’ll have fresh cleats and again at the start of the 2025 season.
“The English PFAI used to fund our boots when I was at Birmingham but a decent pair could cost League of Ireland players upwards of €250 a few times per year,” explained the centre-back. “This is a great initiative for the players.”
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