SHAMROCK ROVERS FORWARD Rory Gaffney has been named SSE Airtricity/Soccer Writers Ireland Player of the Month for October.
Gaffney, 33, played a central role as Stephen Bradley’s side landed a third league title in-a-row.
He scored three goals and bagged an assist in October as the Hoops won four and drew one of their five Premier Division games, and competed in the Uefa Conference League. He played every minute of the five league games.
The Tuam native’s 15-goal tally in all competitions — including three in Europe — makes 2022 his joint-best goalscoring season as a League of Ireland player.
Gaffney held of competition from Shelbourne’s Shane Farrell (second), UCD’s Mark Dignam and Mark Connolly of Derry City (joint-third) to scoop the prize he was previously nominated for in May, July and August.
“If I’m doing well as a striker, it probably means the team is doing well,” he said. “We had a good month. It was touch and go in the league with what was going to happen but thankfully we pulled it through in the end.
“It’s probably the first time, in the last number of years, I’ve played for what I would consider a proper team. It’s really organised from back to front. I’d like to think I could play any position, it’s how the manager coaches it. Here, the instruction is so clear. It works so well.
“It’s easy to play in his team. It helps that we get a lot of games in Tallaght. The pitch is perfect and there’s always a great atmosphere.
“There’s serious talent and I wouldn’t have played with lads as good down through the years.”
The win is Gaffney’s second SWI Player of the Month award. He first claimed the honour while playing for Limerick in August 2014, a little over eight years ago.
Asked whether he considers 2022 to be the best season of his career, he said: “Probably, off the back of Europe really. You could have a good season in the lower leagues in England but you’ll never get the chance to compete in Europe and play against some of the top-quality teams we’ve played against.”
Ashley Yonng never came across as the sharpest tool in the box
@Kieran: how is it dumb to keep trying to compete? He’s not saying they’ll be successful , just that he won’t give up trying. Real losers are the ones that quit. What would you do?
@Andrew Keane: thing is, United don’t try and compete. Especially not against good teams. They try not to lose.
@James Doyle: They competed against Chelsea!
@The Bunk: I said good teams….
But in fairness, they were at home against a team that has lost 3 out of the last 4, were beaten by 3 by both Watford and Bournemouth, and even then only “went for the win” with 30 minutes left, and Chelsea still had a goal incorrectly disallowed to equalize. It wasn’t all that great, really.
@Kieran: Tool? Yes. Sharp? No.
Ha.
Easy on the glue there Young ya gimp!
@glenn kilfeather: what do you expect him or anyone else put in that position to say ! Now who’s the ‘GIMP!’
@thatsnotme: Ashley Young
@thatsnotme: Ashley Young?
Playing to win? Is that what he calls turning out Jose’s patented 6-4-0 formation anytime United play a team in the top 6? Playing not to lose may get United tremendous results like a 0-0 at Anfield, or a 2-1 over an out of sorts Chelsea, but it does not a “title challenge” make. United have lost 16 points on Man City in 21 games. They were level after 7. That’s the opposite of “going to win every game”.
Deluded as the rest of them!
@Eoin McCarthy: why is he deluded?
@Andrew Keane: By thinking that United, or any team for that matter, might catch City at this stage.
New story on Young tomorrow, “Ashley Young fails drug test”
Dived in there Ashley
Well you hardly expect them to concede matches do you. Everyone else is playing for top 4 places since before Xmas.
Ah brilliant. You have to love Marlo Stanfields optimism. Hahahhah.
@England’s Envy: Careful now, or Young will get Chris and Snoop to put you up in those vacants.
@Alan J. McKenna: Haahaha McNulty will get their asS
You’re talking shiit Ashley….probably just returning what that bird dumped in your mouth that time though ha!
Clown
Hahahahahahahahaha…..lolololilolololololololol