The most naturally gifted footballer in Ireland can still be a major asset

Shamrock Rovers Jack Byrne file pic .

ON FRIDAY, Jack Byrne played his first minutes for Shamrock Rovers in 217 days after coming on late in the 1-1 draw with Bohemians.

In addition, it is 317 days since the Dubliner last completed 90 minutes in the Premier Division.

Rovers boss Stephen Bradley admitted he was unsure when Byrne would be ready to start again and said that the club had struggled to identify the nature of the injury.

“It came from his back down to his knee, calf. We had him everywhere — the main specialist in Europe, we had him in London, had him everywhere at different clubs just trying to get to the bottom of it.

“It looks like we’re there now and it’s just about getting him back up and ready to go.”

It feels like Byrne has been around forever given that he’s been much-discussed for over a decade.

The midfielder joined Man City as a 15-year-old from St Kevin’s Boys and the Irish sporting public has closely followed his various moves since then.

Byrne was called up to train with the Ireland squad by Martin O’Neill in March 2016 and won the first of four caps just over three years later during Mick McCarthy’s brief reign.

The midfielder’s career had been stop-start before joining the Hoops.

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Between 2015 and 2019, he switched clubs seven times including loans, with some stints (Cambuur) more successful than others (Blackburn).

It took a move to the Premier Division for his career to really get going and his impact in Ireland was substantial.

He won back-to-back PFAI Players’ Player of the Year awards in 2019 and 2020 and was integral to the first of four successive Rovers title successes in the latter season.

Another ill-fated move followed as Byrne returned to the Hoops after making just five appearances in the Cypriot First Division with APOEL.

So far, his second League of Ireland spell has not been as spectacular as his first, though he has still been a key figure in Rovers winning the title over the last two seasons.

Byrne has been used more sparingly in his second stint, with injury problems limiting his game time.

Compared to 2,769 minutes in his debut season, the 28-year-old played 2,020 minutes in 2022 and 1,811 minutes last year.

But when fit, there are few if any players in the domestic game who can have as sizeable an impact as Byrne.

In terms of natural talents, you could make the case for Chris Forrester and one or two others, but if you were to ask players to name the most gifted footballer in the League of Ireland, the majority would still opt for Byrne.

Shamrock Rovers have been able to cope relatively well in his absence. They still won the league last year despite Byrne only being available for 23 of their 36 Premier Division games last year. And this season, they trail table toppers Shelbourne by only two points without being able to call upon the Irish international for the most part.

Yet for all the impressive depth in the Hoops’ squad, a fit Byrne would no doubt always be one of the first names on the teamsheet.

With his creativity and footballing intelligence, the former Oldham and Wigan player is one of the few individual players in Irish football capable of controlling and dictating the tempo of games.

His talent has not gone unnoticed beyond Ireland — just over a year ago, Byrne was linked with a move to Major League Soccer as Rovers rejected bids from Charlotte FC.

The injury problems perhaps contributed to a cooling off of interest for now.

But a fit and firing Byrne still wouldn’t be short of suitors from abroad, though as he ostensibly approaches the peak of his career, he can at the very least secure his legacy as a League of Ireland great.

Relative to their domestic achievements, Rovers have often struggled in Europe.

Under Bradley, they have not had as memorable a campaign as 2011, when a Michael-O’Neill-managed side reached the Europa League group stages or 2016 when Stephen Kenny’s Dundalk did the same.

To get to that level, Rovers will need players of Byrne’s calibre available regularly and equally, it could help consolidate the Dubliner’s legacy as one of the all-time greats in League of Ireland history.

Even if a move to a higher level never materialises, taking the Hoops to unprecedented heights should be the primary motivating factor for Byrne as he aims to get back to his best.