Gary O'Neill: 'The manager speaks to us every day reminding us that to be a top team you have to win silverware'

Andrew Dempsey reports from Dalymount Park

Gary O’Neill has enjoyed a fruitful beginning to his spell as a Shamrock Rovers player, but he is well aware that the Hoops need to secure a piece of silverware if they are to be considered a top side.

The Kerry native joined Stephen Bradley’s side from UCD at the start of the summer transfer window – making his debut in a scoreless draw at home to Sligo Rovers in July.   

“I’m loving it. I might sound stupid but I’m hungry for more you know, I really want to go and achieve more at this football club,” O’Neill told extratime.ie after he helped his reach the FAI Cup final for the first time since 2010.   

“The manager speaks to us every day reminding us that to be a top team you have to win silverware.

“We’re one step away from that now so we’ll get ourselves right and we’ve some league games to take care of first. We want to get as many points as we can, and we’ll look forward to the Aviva

"I’m naturally delighted. The overall emotion for me is that we are one step closer to achieving what we set out to do as a football club and as players.”

The 24-year-old’s emotions at the full-time whistle on Friday evening were a stark contrast to that of 2018 – where he was defeated in the last four of the FAI Cup by Dundalk with UCD.

“I was thinking back to that day earlier. I thought we were excellent last year when we went up to Dundalk and gave a really good account of ourselves.

“To go a step further this and get a day out at the Aviva is great – a day out maybe sounds a bit negative – but we’ll be going there to win the trophy.



“We’ll enjoy it and now we can sit back, relax and enjoy Dundalk against Sligo on Sunday knowing that we’re there on November 3rd.

With this being O’Neill’s second derby win in as many games, the 2018 First Division Player of the Year added; “The build-up to them is brilliant. They’re really well advertised, and the build-up is amazing.

“When we came on to warm up tonight the Bohs fans and our fans were out in their numbers already.

“As soon as the game settles, you kind of put that to the back of your mind and you concentrate on the task on hand.

“But I’ve been fortunate enough not to lose one yet – winning two is pure elation but I’ll take the good with the bad.”

However, prior to the Cup final – the focus is firmly on finishing the league campaign in good stead.  



“Momentum is key for us now,” the former Wolves youngster concluded. “We’ve got some good games as well, we’ve got Sligo, Harps, UCD and Cork in our last four.

“They’re good games – they’re games that we’ll fancy ourselves getting three points in and momentum is the word.”