DON’T WORRY, IT’S not just a case of you getting older: the League of Ireland’s heroes are getting younger too. 

The latest is all of 17: Aidomo Emakhu, who scored Shamrock Rovers’ winning goal against Teuta Durres of Albania in the Uefa Europa Conference League on Thursday night. 

Emakhu was sprung for his European debut with just seven minutes remaining of a European tie in which it seemed Rovers would be frustrated by inferior but deeply cynical opponents, but as the game ticked into stoppage time, Emakhu timed his run into the penalty area to perfection to smash Daniel Mandroiu’s pull-back into the top corner. 

“I’m always conscious of when you put young boys in because you can hurt them as well, so you have to mind them. But he’s a really exciting prospect and I felt tonight was the right occasion for him”, said Rovers manager Stephen Bradley. “You can get that feeling. I watched him here on Sunday for the U19s and I knew he was ready. I’m delighted for him as he’s a really good kid and works extremely hard.”

Emakhu has been capturing attention since he was nine, making him a name for himself with Lourdes Celtic, and among the Premier League clubs to scout him was Bradley, when he performed that role in Ireland for Arsenal.

Having initially been involved with Shelbourne’s academy, Emakhu then moved to Rovers. 

“At 11s, 12s, he was the hottest prospect in Dublin and everyone wanted him”, said Bradley. “He lost his way for two years in terms of physically, he was smaller than everyone and that knocked his confidence.

“But 15 and 16 he has taken that growth and his ability has always been there. With that growth his confidence has come back in how he plays. I understood that he had a knock before, so that’s why I’m so hesitant putting him in and hurting him again.” 

The new post-Brexit rules mean that Emakhu can’t move to the UK until he is 18 – there’s nothing stopping him following Kevin Zefi’s path in leaving Rovers for elsewhere in the EU – and Bradley accentuated the benefits to staying in Ireland in the wake of Emakhu’s star turn. 

“My attitude is that you don’t stop kids. If kids and their parents still want to go to England at 15 and 16 and 17, that’s fine, don’t try and stop them. We know what we can offer them. We know the platform we can give them.

“We believe in what we do, that’s not for everyone that’s fine. And not just us, every League of Ireland club, that’s not for some people, they still see England at 15 or whatever it is as a better option.

“Me personally, if I had the time back, I wouldn’t do it. You can never stop certain kids and parents going and that’s their decision. But we’re comfortable in what we can offer them, this platform, men’s football, European games. 17 in England, he’s playing an U18s or 19s match during the week. With us he’s just scored a European goal, it’s incredible.”

Rovers targeted progression to the group stage of the new, third-tier Conference League from the moment it was announced a couple of years ago, and they have a fabulous opportunity to do exactly that. They will take a 1-0 lead to Albania in the return leg, and should they complete the job, a play-off round against the losers of the Europa League tie between Omonoia and Floria Tallinn is all left standing in their way. (Floria trail 1-0 from the first leg.)

Stephen Bradley. Tommy Dickson / INPHO Tommy Dickson / INPHO / INPHO

Rovers have a kinder path that the other Irish sides – if Bohs beat PAOK they’ll likely face Hibernian; Dundalk will probably have to beat Anderlecht if they can beat Vitesse – but that’s a consequence of their finding themselves in the ‘champions’ side of the draw. Hence defending that title is a priority this season, so Bradley says all focus is now on tomorrow’s league game against struggling Longford Town. 

“When we sat down in this plan, the aim was always to win the league last year because the Conference was coming in this year, so we knew how important it would be. And now we’ve had a taste of it.

“We definitely want more of it. I doesn’t guarantee you anything obviously but it can help you, it can give you a favourable draw, we get a bye, it can definitely help you. Retaining the league has to be our No. 1, that has to be the aim because we’ve won one league, it’s not enough. This team, this group is too talented. We need to go again. Longford will have our full attention on Sunday. There is no messing, there is no thinking of next week, it is three points Sunday.” 

Bradley also said there is nothing new to report on the future of Liam Scales, with the defender subject to significant interest from Celtic.