19 YEARS ON from his departure for the bright lights of English football, Stephen McPhail is finally home.
Signed by Shamrock Rovers last week after agreeing to leave Sheffield Wednesday, the midfielder brings vast experience of playing at the top with him to the Airtricty League Premier Division title contenders.
A native of Rush, County Dublin, the youngster joined Leeds United from Home Farm in 1995 and broke into the first team, at the time managed by George Graham. He would go onto to feature in the UEFA Cup and Champions League during their famous European adventures under David O’Leary.
An unlucky spell with injuries saw him loaned out to Millwall and Nottingham Forest before agreeing to join Barnsley permanently. It was at Cardiff, however, where McPhail most fondly-remembered.
During a six-year spell with the Bluebirds, he captained them to to an FA Cup final (1-0 defeat to Portsmouth in 2008), just missed out on promotion to the Premier League (play-off runners-up in 2009), and was part of the team which got to the Carling Cup final in 2012 (lost to Liverpool on penalties). He was also capped 10 times at senior level for Ireland.
In between the on-field success, McPhail’s life was turned upside down when he was diagnosed with lymphoma in late 2009. Showing incredible strength and courage, he battled his way back to full health a nd has most recently been plying his trade at Sheffield Wednesday.
Having moved his young family back home, he decided to see if balancing time with them and a career in England would be possible but admits it got too much. He told a friend he was thinking of playing in Ireland, and in turn that friend (who knows Croly) made the Hoops boss aware of the situation.
The pair met for a chat at Dublin airport during one of McPhail’s trips back and he was immediately sold on Rovers.
I’m delighted to come here,” McPhail said today. “The only manager I spoke to was Trevor and he was the only one I wanted after I spoke to him once.
“He has a great knowledge of the game, I looked into his background to see how good he is as a coach and hectold me what he was thinking for the season and how he would fit in.
“My kids are at home in school and settled so it was hard travelling back and forward from the start of the season.
“It was a temporary thing to see how it would go but it just got too much. I’m a bit of a family man.
“This for me is the biggest club in the country and I’m looking forward to putting on the famous colours.” 
The move is extra special for McPhail as he grew up a Hoops fan and spent many days watching them as a boy. He explains:
”My grandad was involved and I used to go to watch them play every home game in the RDS. It’s was a great club and although they had different grounds over the years, the supporters stuck with them.
“I remember being passionate in the stands and hearing some good shouts. It’s something that I always wanted to try experience if got the chance before I finish playing.”
