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‘I love the bones of them' – Tony McEntee bids an emotional farewell to Sligo after five years at the helm

‘I love the bones of them' – Tony McEntee bids an emotional farewell to Sligo after five years at the helm

It was an emotional Tony McEntee who told the press that he was standing down as Sligo manager after five years in charge following their 0-21 to 1-16 defeat to Fermanagh in the Tailteann Cup semi-final.
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Meet the new Shamrock Rovers striker who is a Tailteann Cup winner with Down
Meet the new Shamrock Rovers striker who is a Tailteann Cup winner with Down

Irish Daily Mirror

time2 days ago

  • Irish Daily Mirror

Meet the new Shamrock Rovers striker who is a Tailteann Cup winner with Down

He is a Tailteann Cup winner with Down, but it's not his Gaelic football career that is on an upward curve. John McGovern has committed his future to the 11-a-side game and after a first start for his new club Shamrock Rovers he now has his eye on a European debut. McGovern arrived at the Hoops after an impressive campaign with Dungannon Swifts last year, when he scored 14 goals in 29 appearances. He could have signed for Rovers last January, but was determined to finish his Business and Information Technology studies in Queens University. A sporting all-rounder, with Collingwood Cup credentials too, he will travel to Gibraltar with the rest of Stephen Bradley's squad tomorrow ahead of Thursday's Europa Conference League clash. 'For me, whenever I was joining, it was the chance of European football as well, that there would be European football there as well,' he said of his decision to move to Rovers. 'So it's an exciting venture for me, playing in Europe for the first time.' But for a controversial red card, McGovern could have been heading back up north this week to face Cliftonville in Europe. Instead, it's their conquerors St Joseph's. John McGovern made his first Shamrock Rovers start in their FAI Cup win against Wexford (Image: INPHO/James Lawlor) 'No team that gets into Europe will be a pushover, we know that, the manager and the club know that,' said the 22-year-old. 'Whenever you go into Europe it won't be easy or smooth sailing. 'Rovers have shown down the years that they deserve to be in Europe, they have worked hard and done well, that's why we are here.' A former underage international with Northern Ireland, McGovern could easily have opted to continue playing Gaelic football for Ballyholland GAC and Down. Click this link or scan the QR code to receive the latest League of Ireland news and top stories from the Irish Mirror. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice . 'We won the Tailteann Cup last summer,' he said of his time with the senior intercounty side. 'I balanced both sports from the age of five, I went back and always wanted to play for Down. 'Things were not going too well with Newry City at the time I was there, so I went back and wanted to keep fit and give it a crack at playing Gaelic. 'I went for six months and we won a Tailteann but I had to dedicate the final year to playing for Dungannon and Newry, and ended up here. 'Putting that focus on playing soccer has paid off.' While Rovers had come in for McGovern last winter, he also had contact from clubs across the water. An opportunity to play for the Hoops, he says, was too good to turn down. 'That was my final year in university so it was about getting a full season under my belt playing Premiership football and getting my university degree done, then exploring options,' he explained. 'So throughout the year I dedicated myself to playing for Dungannon and then my university. 'Stephen Bradley contacted me in January and tried to bring me in, the timing wasn't right then but I said I'd be hugely interested. 'Rovers are the biggest club in Ireland. You could go across the water, clubs in Scotland and lower league clubs in England were interested, but you look at the success Rovers have had since they were founded, league titles, FAI Cups and Europe most years, that was an incentive for me. 'I want to get better playing with better players at a bigger club so it was a good step for me so playing LOI was something I wanted to do.' Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email .

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