RICHIE TOWELL WILL have no shortage of admirers when the League of Ireland season is wrapped up in a couple of weeks.
With 26 goals to his name this term, few would argue that the Dundalk midfielder is the finest footballer plying his trade on these shores right now.
Having helped the Lilywhites win back-to-back SSE Airtricity League Premier Division titles, the 24-year-old and his team-mates can still do a league and cup double when they face Cork City in the FAI Cup final at the Aviva Stadium on 8 November.
The Dubliner has already been named in the PFAI Team of the Year and he is favourite to pick up Player of the Year.
A year ago, Towell spent time at Blackpool and Cardiff City before re-signing with Dundalk, but he could be set for a move when his current deal is up at the end of the season.
The Irish Sun reported today that League Two club Bristol Rovers, currently 13th in England’s fourth tier, are keen on his signature, and manager Darrell Clarke has declared his interest.
“Richie has a good pedigree and is the sort of player who might fit the mould we are looking for,” Clarke told the Bristol Post.
“We have heard some good things about him, but we want to have a look for ourselves and that is probably the next step in the process.
Steve (Yates) has been out and about looking at several potential targets since taking up his new role recently and I’d anticipate that he will probably going over to Ireland to cast an eye over Richie at some point in the future.
“That is where we are at with it and anybody who says we are any further ahead in the process or talking about deals or wages at this moment in time would be jumping the gun.”
However, former Celtic youth player Towell, who is one of the highest paid players in the League of Ireland, has said in the past that a move away would have to be the right one.
“I just have to take every scenario as it comes and if the right opportunity came up for me and my family to set-up our future then it would be a no brainer,” he said recently after winning SWAI/SSE Airtricity League Player of the Month for September.
“I could have signed for Peterborough when Darren Ferguson was manager. I’m not being disrespectful but I think League One is very similar to our league.
“Why move away for the same money to play there when you can be close to family and play in a team like Dundalk?”
