DANNY MANDROIU HAS returned to Shamrock Rovers until the end of the season, two years after leaving the club for Lincoln City.
The 25-year-old goes straight into the squad (subject to clearance) for Thursday’s UCL playoff against PAOK in Greece.
“We’re absolutely delighted to have a player of Danny’s calibre and level back at the club,” Stephen Bradley, Rover’s head coach, said.
Bradley added: “We all know how good Danny was for us before he left. He was brilliant on and off the pitch.
“We kept in touch and have a good relationship so I’m absolutely delighted to have him back. We know Danny had other options, elsewhere and away so the club have worked hard to make it happen and made it happen so I can’t wait to get him started again at Rovers.”
Mandroiu said: “It’s great to be back at Rovers for the next five months.”
He added: “Playing in the group stages of a Uefa competition appeals massively to me. It is something that very few professional footballers get to experience during their career, and to do it with my great team mates at Rovers in front of such unbelievable fans is going to be special.”
Meanwhile, Waterford FC’s Darragh Leahy is free to play against Derry City on Friday after having a red card overturned.
Leahy was shown a red card during his side’s FAI Cup clash against Athlone Town last Friday, 16 August.
However, an appeal by the club was successful and Leahy is available for selection in the second-against-third game at the RSC on Friday.
Why are all these lads coming back to the nest after a year or two, Is it ability or mental toughness stops them from progressing, It’s great for the league but I would love to see players really progressing when they make the move
@ETH: I think people assume top LOI players can make the step up to League 1 level no bother, but it’s a highly competitive environment and not easy at all. But there are players who can excel and progress after moving, like Ogbene.
Brilliant signing for the hoops….hope he does well..super player
Turkey teeth
@robert kelly: Sad
Huge signing
Some clubs don’t work out but this might be a player issue. Mark Kennedy who was his manager had a lot of negatives to say about him. Just a different scene might help has the ability but so too did Jack Byrne look what has happened to him need to stay away from League of Ireland once you get out
@Leighton Cullen: Lincoln got a new manager since Kennedy and mandriou done quite well there overall, hence the contract extension offer. I’m not sure why he’d need to stay away from the loi… chance to play in Europe, slim chance at silverware. As he said, he’s there for 5 months, I’m sure there’ll be clubs after him in Jan if he plays well in the coming months.