Aidan Price on Shamrock Rovers’ UEFA Youth League debut: ‘It is a real test against AZ who are a great Dutch team who last season only lost in the last 16’

• Macdara Ferris
• Mon, Sep 12 2022




It is a big European week for Shamrock Rovers. Stephen Bradley’s side play their first ever away Europa Conference League game against Gent on Thursday evening.

However, 24 hours prior to that the Hoops are making their debut in the UEFA Youth League.

Their under-19 side, managed by Aidan Price, play Dutch side AZ Alkmaar in the first leg of the first round of the UEFA Youth League. extratime.com got the thoughts of Price and Bradley ahead of Wednesday’s game in the Netherlands.

“Our squad is a mixture of players who won the under-17 and under-19 National League last year,” said Price. “Some of them have the taste of first team football here and others are seeing the success of those players and they want that.

“They have to want to go and make a statement in Europe. It is not just about the old way of Irish teams just taking part. This group have worked really hard. It is a chance for them to go and express themselves and put on a show.”

With a 2-1 home win over Sligo Rovers under-19 in early November in their final game of the season Price’s side secured the u19 National League underage title. 

The squad that day included a number of players who are now very much part of Rovers’ first team squad  - Aidomo Emakhu, Justin Ferizaj and Gideon Tetteh (who made his league debut in Sunday’s 5-1 win over Finn Harps).

A number of players from last year’s National League winning side have also moved on from the club - John Ryan (Sassuolo), Killian Cahill (Brighton & Hove Albion), Dylan Duffy (UCD), Adam Wells (Wexford – on loan), Jamie Doyle (Bohemians) and Jordan Tallon (Wexford).

AZ test

“It is a real test against a really great Dutch team who only lost in the last 16 on penalties (to Juventus in the Youth League last season),” said the 40-year-old manager.

“AZ have a really good pedigree underage. They are well known in the Netherlands for producing young players and have had a lot of success bringing players into the first team at a young age which is similar to Rovers.” 

Wednesday evening’s game is taking place in AZ’s training ground north of Amsterdam and with the Hoops senior team playing in Belgium the following evening some Rovers supporters will be travelling cheering on both teams.

The second leg will take place in Tallaght on Tuesday 4^th October, a couple of days ahead of Rovers’ Europa Conference League game away to Molde.

Who are Shamrock Rovers' next Europa Conference League opponents KAA Gent? https://t.co/7dGDDKHvVKpic.twitter.com/jKGWiL4Z8X

— Extratime.com (@ExtratimeNews) September 11, 2022

“It is only a two hour or so train journey between our game in AZ and Ghent where the senior team will play. Some of our fans are doing both games. Having support would be huge as we know how helpful that can be.

“For the home game we hope to get support from the general public, Rovers fans and it allows our supporters who mightn't travel out to Molde until the Wednesday to support us too. We are looking to get a good result in the first leg to bring it back to Tallaght to add to the interest in the second leg.”

The team are flying out on scheduled flights to Amsterdam on Tuesday and back on Thursday afternoon.

Price was thankful that they avoided some lengthy away trips based on the group they were drawn out of which also contained Macedonian side Pobeda. His team had their National League game called off over the weekend to help in the preparation for Wednesday’s match. 

“A lot of these boys have come up from the under-17s last year,” said Price who as a player captained Rovers to the 2006 First Division title and more recently managed the Rovers II side in the First Division in 2020.

“We have some lads that have been with the club for a long time. Naj Razi (born in 2006) is playing for the under-19s.He has been at the club since he was four years of age when we were playing in the cages in the Spawell in Templeogue. 

“He has come the whole way through. I had him in the first year of the under-13s National League so to get him on the pitch for the under-19s is a great feeling. He has worked hard and that is why he gets the reward of being around the under-19s at such a young age and starting and affecting games.” 

Speaking after Rovers’ 5-1 league win on Sunday night at home to Finn Harps, Hoops Head Coach Stephen Bradley talked about the great opportunity that this UEFA Youth League tie is for the players around the fringes of his first team.

Bradley said: “It is brilliant for both the management of the 19s and obviously for the players as it is going to test them in ways that they haven't been tested before tactically on the pitch. We have some very good young players, as AZ will have also. 

“The all-round experience for those players to go and play at that level can only be a good thing. Win, lose or draw they will learn so much from it. Hopefully they can go there, be calm and perform.”

Bradley pleased with ‘professional’ performance after 5-1 home win over Harps shows Hoops had no European hangover https://t.co/HVHNb9CWVGpic.twitter.com/4MIOs1jbxD

— Extratime.com (@ExtratimeNews) September 11, 2022

UEFA Youth League details

Should the Hoops progress they will play the winner of Omonoia v Crvena Zvezda (Red Star Belgrade) in the second round in another two legged tie (26 Oct / 2 Nov).

The winner of that tie will progress to the last 32 play-off round where they will play runners up from one of the eight teams in the Champions League Path in a one legged tie next February.

Longread: Will someone please think of the coefficient?

A detailed look at the UEFA coefficient and League of Ireland results in Europe since 2000https://t.co/mh0gFLkOFvpic.twitter.com/hZnRSHYLFe

— Extratime.com (@ExtratimeNews) September 12, 2022