SHAMROCK ROVERS boss Stephen Bradley reserved high praise for Josh Honohan following the player’s performance in the 3-1 win over Bohemians on Friday night.
The Hoops have several individuals capable of playing wing-back, though Neil Farrugia and Sean Kavanagh are currently unavailable and Trevor Clarke is only just coming back from injury.
However, the displays of Honohan and Darragh Burns in front of a record crowd at Tallaght emphasised their strength in depth in that area.
22-year-old Honohan, who can also play centre-back, joined Rovers last November after impressing for Cork City in the 2023 campaign.
When he signed Bradley likened Honohan to Ireland international Liam Scales, another player who often impressed for the Hoops at wing-back and is these days starring for Celtic in central defence.
“I’ve watched Josh for a year and every time I watch his games, I think he’s playing in a different position but he’s taken me by surprise because he’s so comfortable,” Bradley said.
“What I love about Josh is when you’re dealing with him during the week, helping him technically and tactically, he wants all the information you can give him.
“I think he’s going to be a centre-back as time goes on, he’s tailor-made to be one, he’s lightning quick, both footed, really good on the ball, can play wing back or full back.
“I said when I signed him that I saw the Liam Scales mentality in him, someone who you could ask to play up front and he’d say how do you want me to play it, no problem, I’ll do it. That’s the kind of character he is. There’s so much more to come from him. I think he can get 10 goals for us, Josh, if he can tweak a little bit.”
Bradley also described how he had been working on shooting drills with Honohan during the week.
“We had him out, I’ve been working on certain techniques with him, more so, because of the type he is.
“When you’re naturally both-footed, from when you’re young, you don’t naturally set the ball from outside your body. You look really straight.
“Josh has a habit of not setting it out because he can play with both feet. When you’re naturally one-sided, you always set the ball out but Josh doesn’t, he keeps it central.
“It’s really hard to shoot from a central position so it’s about understanding that space and shifting it. He hasn’t had to do that but I think we’ll get there. He’ll score goals doing it because he’s naturally left and right-footed, and that pace and power, it’s a brilliant combination.”
Adapting to what he has been asked to do, Bradley says, is not easy for the former Carrigaline United youngster.
“You can see him getting frustrated because he’s never been shown or taught it, what he’s done.
“He’s thought: ‘It has always worked,’ but for me it hasn’t, we can make him better. I can see it with my son, naturally, both footed, he doesn’t set the ball outside so it’s interesting seeing it, we can definitely help him get better. And he will get better.”
And might he even have as high a ceiling as Scales?
“Yeah no doubt, he’s got a really high ceiling Josh. Mentality, character, attributes, they’re as good as we’ve ever had here, as a defender, in terms of pace, power, naturally both footed, as quick as anything you’ll see. Lots of work to do but a really high ceiling.”
It’s a similar learning process on the other side of the pitch for Burns, the 21-year-old who signed on loan from MK Dons in January.
“I think it’s trying to get Darragh to understand how we play the system and he’s getting there. With his goal last week against Galway, Darragh four weeks ago would have stood out wide and not affected the game.
“Now, he’s really hurting teams with how he plays, runs and understands. To understand how we play demands a lot from our wing-backs mentally. He and Josh are being asked to do a lot and it’s new for them.”
