David Sneyd

SEAN BOYD HAD a League of Ireland winners’ medal around his neck and a bottle of Heineken stuffed in his right sock as he began to reflect on the greatest moment in his career.

“To do it this way, in the last five minutes up in Derry, and [Shamrock] Rovers having a sold out crowd, it’s fucking brilliant for us. Amazing. I really can’t believe this has actually happened.

“I was nearly crying with three minutes to go. I could feel myself getting emotional, my eyes were tearing up. And as soon as the whistle went, I was like a baby, uncontrollably crying. Football is a mad game. You don’t know where it’s going to take you or what it’s going to bring to you.”

If you are very, very lucky there will be times like this in your career. Not just winning the league, the first at Tolka Park since 2006, but being part of something that is more than football and being able to pick up a wage.

The last three years under Damien Duff – Boyd was one of the manager’s first signings – have provided solace and comfort, and a feeling of belonging and love.

As well as lots and lots of rows with Duff.

“He does poke and prod me, it happens all the time. He’s very honest, if he thinks I’ve been shit, he’ll tell me, if he thinks I haven’t done enough. We’ve had many fights and there’s probably been time where he’s thought ‘Fuck him, I’m going to get rid of him’ – and it’s probably gone back and forth. But I love him, I enjoy every minute I’ve spent with him, I love his company, I can’t speak highly enough of him.”

Others have been quick to talk down to Boyd, though, especially when he first signed for Shels ahead of the 2022 season.

He’d been in the First Division with Finn Harps before that and had to fight to salvage any kind of career when he suffered a cruciate knee ligament injury while out of contract and trying to earn a new club with PFA Ireland.

Luke Byrne, one of his best friends and then Shels captain, informed Duff of his availability. The manager knew the player, too, from their time at Shamrock Rovers’ academy and a deal was done.

Football being football, and footballers being footballers, Boyd was a target.

“I remember Gary Deegan giving me stick in a pre-season game up there [at Drogheda United], ‘Your mate signed ya, your mate signed ya’ and I said ‘he probably did’, it was probably Luke,” Boyd said.

“At the time I’d probably done OK at Finn Harps, they probably didn’t think I was going to be [a starter], they probably thought I was going to be a good substitution, one you can have around the squad.”

No one who has seen Boyd play will be surprised to learn he has locked horns with Duff. Shels fans love him because every other set of supporters hate him. Aggressive and confrontational with a bad habit of either scoring important goals and helping to set them up.

If Liam Burt finished a one-on-one chance in the first half and Harry Wood scored in injury time we would have been talking about two of the smartest, most skilful assists of the season.

It was also his powerful free kick that Brian Maher could only palm towards Wood that led to the goal that won the title.

Boyd came through the ranks at Rovers and scored on his debut against Bohemians in the summer of 2016. It’s so long ago that Stephen Bradley was still in interim charge and that was his first win.

It was in Tallaght that he developed that friendship with Byrne and also worked with Duff, who used to “terrify” him.

Ronan Finn, Graham Burke and Sean Kavanagh are all some of his closest friends in the game.

“To have a place where you really love and enjoy and to win the league is unbelievable. I can’t believe I’m here. We’ve a really good team and it’s no surprise for us, but it’s a reality now. I’ve spent years watching my mates, my good mates, lift titles. Finner. Burkey. Kavo. All of them. To get a piece of the pie is nice.”

Duff is the man responsible for giving Boyd and Shels a taste.

“Nearly everyone in the team would have a point to prove and he uses that to his advantage, he tries to get us going with it. Every week, they say it to me all the time, that would be one of their main things, ‘If you have nothing to prove, you don’t have an edge, you don’t want to do something, if you’re just happy enough, you’re nothing.’ He would always say, you don’t do this, you don’t do that, you don’t enough. He’d want me to prove them wrong

“I’d be terrified that he’s going to leave. He’s the reason I fell in love with the club along with a lot of other things. Absolutely, I want him to be here for as long as possible and I want to be beside him.”