Sean Roughan enlists Granny's help to repay Drogheda United

Sean Roughan credits his stint at Drogheda United for getting him back on track at Lincoln. 

THANKFUL: Sean Roughan is thankful for what Drogheda did for him. Picture: ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy

Plenty of professional footballers wax lyrical about the role old coaches and clubs played in their journeys. Few can match the way Sean Roughan showed his gratitude after his spell on loan at Drogheda United.

The Dubliner had been out of favour at Lincoln City before he spent the 2022 League of Ireland season on loan with the Drogs. It was a spell that rebuilt his confidence and catapulted him back to England’s east coast where he has become a fan favourite.

“I can't thank them enough,” he says. “If I didn't do that, I don't know where I'd be right now.”

That shone through when Roughan was asked about Drogheda’s FAI Cup semi-final defeat of Wexford last weekend, and in his insistence that he will be taking the family to the Aviva Stadium next month to cheer the club on against Derry City.

He was quick to text his congratulations to manager Kevin Doherty and his assistant Daire Doyle, both of whom he knew well from his time in Louth, but he had already gone above and beyond in helping the club out.

It started with Doyle asking about two other young Lincoln players who would pitch up in Drogheda. Freddie Draper scored eight goals after a slow start while Elicha Ahui is back on this side of the Irish Sea for a second stint this term.

Bringing foreign players over is one thing, putting them up another.

This is where Roughan came in.

“I said, ‘look, my nana has a house, I'll ask. You've done a lot for me and I'd like to repay the favour’. My nana did it. She said ‘only for you, but I'll do it anyway’. She got on with the lads really well. She really enjoyed it. It was only six months but she enjoyed it.” 

Roughan is still only 21 but registered his 100th appearance with Lincoln last month and has played every minute of all nine league games this term. The Imps just missed out on the League One playoffs last time but sit fourth after an impressive start.

It’s a CV all the more impressive for the tough times.

It took Roughan time to win his place back last season after being away on U21 duties with Ireland. He finished the campaign as the club’s young player of the year. That resilience stemmed in large part from his earlier struggles.

Brought over to the Imps in his mid-teens to join their academy, he broke into the team under former manager Michael Appleton only to find himself slipping back down the pecking order and into the maw of the youth ranks.

His one appearance in the 21/22 season was an FA Cup game against Bowers & Pitsea. There was a trial with Southampton’s youth team that didn’t come to anything and then the move to Drogheda where he could reconnect with family and reset.

His own troubles at Lincoln had come at a time when covid was at its peak, and the manager wasn’t explaining why his progress had been reversed, but he views it now just one of those things you have to deal with in such a ruthless business.

“I look back at it and I thank [Appleton] for it. If he didn't do that, I wouldn't be as mentally tough now,” he reasoned. “Anything that's thrown my way now, I'm like, ‘okay, that's fine’. I just deal with it.

“Back then, I probably didn't deal with it as best I could. Now it stands to me throughout my career. I don't think I could go through more at a young age - being away from… not seeing family, not playing, not doing anything, being injured. It's tough, like.” 

He’s grateful for where he is. And ambitious. The hope is that he can make the Championship with Lincoln but he wants to play Premier League and senior for his country. Right now, the focus is on a huge big week for the Republic’s U21s.

Beat Norway in Cork on Friday and they are assured of a playoff for next year’s European Championships. Beat Italy in Trieste next week and they would qualify automatically for a major tournament at this grade for the first time.

“We're going to fear no-one and we're going into this game and going to go all out for it. Blood, sweat and tears. This is history, it's waiting to be written. We've got to go out and perform the best that we've ever done before.”