STEPHEN BRADLEY HAS revealed that striker Rory Gaffney turned down two contracts on two-year deals from rival clubs in the League of Ireland and eventually took a pay cut to remain at Shamrock Rovers so he could prove his worth this season.
The striker, who turns 36 in October, underwent ankle surgery last year and was unsure if he would be able to continue his career in the game.
He trained with Rovers without penning a new deal during pre-season and rejected the chance to move in order to remain at Tallaght Stadium.
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Gaffney has now scored 12 goals in all competitions so far after hitting a brace in the 4-0 win over Ballkani of Kosovo that set up a Uefa Conference League play-off with Portuguese side Santa Clara.
Bradley’s side travel to the Azores for the first leg next week and do so with a striker seemingly at the top of his game after not even being fit enough to be registered for the club’s Conference League campaign last season.
“You always have doubts, when you’re in your mid-thirties and you have the injuries he’s had. Of course, there’s a little bit of doubt, but I also know Rory, I played with him and I trust him,” Bradley said.
“And the conversations are very honest, you know, ‘I’m willing to come back. I’m willing to take a pay cut. If I’m injured, I’ll walk away’. And I trust everything he says there, you know. And pre-season, we spoke all the way through it. He managed himself. And there’s always that bit of doubt. It has to be at his age.
“But like I said, Rory’s so matter-of-fact, if he tells you something, he believes it, and he’s not saying it just to bullshit you. He wouldn’t do that. He’s not that type. So when he was talking to me, I knew he was telling me the truth, you know?
Bradley explained how two rivals offered the striker a two-year deal but he rebuffed the interest and even accept reduced terms with the Dublin club.
“I think that probably sums up the career he’s had. He could have walked away and had them two contracts, two-year deals, and been comfortable. But he said ‘I want to win things. I want to taste Europe. I want to win the league. I want to win the Cup. I want to win things. I’m nearly there. I’m nearly finished. I want to finish on winning things’. And you have to admire that. Now the job would be negotiating for him next year.”
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Shamrock Rovers boss reveals Euro hero Rory Gaffney took pay cut to stay at club
STEPHEN BRADLEY HAS revealed that striker Rory Gaffney turned down two contracts on two-year deals from rival clubs in the League of Ireland and eventually took a pay cut to remain at Shamrock Rovers so he could prove his worth this season.
The striker, who turns 36 in October, underwent ankle surgery last year and was unsure if he would be able to continue his career in the game.
He trained with Rovers without penning a new deal during pre-season and rejected the chance to move in order to remain at Tallaght Stadium.
Gaffney has now scored 12 goals in all competitions so far after hitting a brace in the 4-0 win over Ballkani of Kosovo that set up a Uefa Conference League play-off with Portuguese side Santa Clara.
Bradley’s side travel to the Azores for the first leg next week and do so with a striker seemingly at the top of his game after not even being fit enough to be registered for the club’s Conference League campaign last season.
“You always have doubts, when you’re in your mid-thirties and you have the injuries he’s had. Of course, there’s a little bit of doubt, but I also know Rory, I played with him and I trust him,” Bradley said.
“And the conversations are very honest, you know, ‘I’m willing to come back. I’m willing to take a pay cut. If I’m injured, I’ll walk away’. And I trust everything he says there, you know. And pre-season, we spoke all the way through it. He managed himself. And there’s always that bit of doubt. It has to be at his age.
“But like I said, Rory’s so matter-of-fact, if he tells you something, he believes it, and he’s not saying it just to bullshit you. He wouldn’t do that. He’s not that type. So when he was talking to me, I knew he was telling me the truth, you know?
Bradley explained how two rivals offered the striker a two-year deal but he rebuffed the interest and even accept reduced terms with the Dublin club.
“I think that probably sums up the career he’s had. He could have walked away and had them two contracts, two-year deals, and been comfortable. But he said ‘I want to win things. I want to taste Europe. I want to win the league. I want to win the Cup. I want to win things. I’m nearly there. I’m nearly finished. I want to finish on winning things’. And you have to admire that. Now the job would be negotiating for him next year.”
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Determined League of Ireland Rory Gaffney Shamrock Rovers Soccer Uefa conference league