“I’m back.”
Shamrock Rovers have officially re-signed Jack Byrne.
The Republic of Ireland midfielder, who was named PFAI Player of the Year twice in his previous stint with Rovers, returns to the League of Ireland Premier Division champions after a year away from the club. Byrne left the Tallaght side to sign for APOEL but endured a difficult spell with the Cypriot team.
Rovers announced his arrival at the club on Friday morning with a video on social media. “I’m back,” the Dubliner said in the short clip.
#JacksBack 🐐 pic.twitter.com/k5OLZQcLCx
— Shamrock Rovers FC (@ShamrockRovers) November 19, 2021
Jack Byrne: Shamrock Rovers announce the return of Ireland midfielder.
Byrne’s first stint with Rovers was highly successful for the player and the club. After an unproductive stint with Scottish side Kilmarnock, the midfielder returned home to Dublin to sign for Stephen Bradley’s team at the end of 2018.
Byrne was the best player in Ireland in the 2019 and 2020 League of Ireland seasons. He was named player of the year twice and caught the attention of two Republic of Ireland managers – Mick McCarthy and Stephen Kenny.
The Dubliner has won four Ireland caps as a Shamrock Rovers player and has shown other Irish players that there is another path to international caps.
Byrne helped the Hoops win the FAI Cup and the Premier Division before departing for Cyprus in December 2020. McCarthy signed the 25-year-old for APOEL but was sacked soon after Byrne’s arrival.
When the player joined the Nicosia team, he had a back injury and only featured sparingly as APOEL struggled in the league. Byrne left the club by mutual consent in September, just nine months, and five appearances, into a two and a half year contract.
Jack Byrne.
Byrne was linked with a move to the new MLS franchise Charlotte FC for the 2022 season. While The Irish Independent reported that the Dubliner had a “third party offer” to train with Serie A giants Lazio, an offer that the player’s representatives did not view as serious.
Instead, the midfielder has returned to Shamrock Rovers, where he has played the best football of his career. Byrne and Rovers head coach Stephen Bradley have a close relationship and Bradley was keen to bring the player back to Tallaght Stadium.
The club have also bolstered their already-formidable midfield with the arrival of Byrne. The former Manchester City youth player joins Richie Towell and Daniel Mandroiu in Rovers’ engine room.
Shamrock Rovers, meanwhile, will be presented the Premier Division trophy on Friday night at Tallaght Stadium when they host Drogheda United.
𝐇𝐞'𝐬 𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤 🐐
We are 𝐚𝐛𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐝 to announce the signing of Jack Byrne ☘️
Welcome home, @Jackb_8 💚#JacksBack 🐐 pic.twitter.com/y6zzG8blgZ
— Shamrock Rovers FC (@ShamrockRovers) November 19, 2021
