Bradley keen to make most of Sexton's Shamrock Rovers visit

Shamrock Rovers chairman Ciaran Medlar, head coach Stephen Bradley and Johnny Sexton. Pic: Nick Elliott/Inpho

Shamrock Rovers boss Stephen Bradley is keen to make the most of the opportunity to work and pick the brain of Irish rugby legend Johnny Sexton.

Sexton is spending the week with Rovers at their Roadstone training base, in the lead-up to both their UEFA Conference League opener against Sparta Prague and the FAI Cup semi-final clash with Kerry on Sunday.

Bradley said he is eager to gain insight from current Ireland assistant Sexton - who retired from the game after the 2023 World Cup - on "different scenarios and different situations".

The Rovers boss insisted that the opportunity to work with such an individual can only be positive. 

"Johnny is obviously starting out on his coaching journey," Bradley told RTÉ. "Johnny has been a world-class player for so long, and when you have the opportunity to have someone like that in the building, and for him to learn from us and for us to learn from him, that can only be positive for everyone.

"This morning we've had a video (session) and a really good conversation afterwards so we've already learned from each other. When you get the chance to work with world-class people like Johnny Sexton, you've got to take that opportunity with both hands.

He continued: "We'll sit down in the afternoon. I know he's done a couple of visits and he's going to do a couple more to other places. It's about him critiquing us.

"He's only in the door, so fresh eyes will be nice. And it's us picking his brains on different scenarios and different situations."

Rovers' first assignment of the week comes on Thursday night in Prague.

Sparta are a familiar foe, with the two sides having faced off in the Champions League last year, which Sparta won 6-2 on aggregate. 

Said Bradley: "Sparta are still very similar in terms of their personnel. Their actual system is still the same, but there are definitely different changes in how they’re trying to do things within that system. That’s quite normal when a new manager comes in. 

"So they’ve changed little bits in their system, but overall, it’s a very similar personnel and team who we’re playing. 

"The pleasing thing is we know exactly what we’re facing in terms of players, also the environment regarding the stadium and everything that goes with that."