Name: Carl Lennox
Team: Under 17s
Position: Full back/centre half
Age: 15
Height: 185cm
Weight: 72kg

Carl, tell us when you joined Shamrock Rovers
I joined in 2015 for the Under 11 team under Graham Gartland and Robbie de Courcy.

Where are you from and what club were you playing for previously?
I’m from Naas in Co. Kildare. I was playing for St. Joseph’s Boys for two years.

How often do you train per week?
I train three times with my team and I go to my local gym two times a week.

How you manage to travel to Roadstone?
My mam and dad share giving me lifts so I am very grateful to both of them for the sacrifices they make for me.

Last year was your first year playing at League of Ireland level; looking back on that how do you think you did personally?
Overall, I thought I played very well. There were times when I could have played better, I know that myself. I was a bit disappointed with that but it’s a game and you have to learn from it.

Your team got into 2 finals but narrowly lost both; what lessons do you think the team learned from those experiences?
In both games we started slowly; we didn’t get on the ball enough. We gave them (St. Pat’s) a chance to get into it. Once we get going I don’t think any team matches us. We had enough chances over both of those games to have won both but we didn’t take them.

Did you find it a big step up from the DDSL to League of Ireland last year?
It was a big step up at the start. You’re playing against better players and every team is going to give you a good game. You could see at the start of training last year our levels and the intensity and the quality of the training went up a notch. You have to have quicker decision-making also. Every game is a good hard game.

What advice do you think you could give to this year’s Under 15s who are now playing League of Ireland for the first time?
To work hard, to express themselves and don’t let it go by because it goes quicker than you actually think.

You suffered an injury to your arm this year; tell us about that.
Just after the national lockdown got lifted I was out playing football with my mates and I fell over and broke my elbow. That kept me out for between five to six weeks. I couldn’t play and that was disappointing.

You were one of the players impacted by the recent Kildare lockdown. That announcement must have come as a big shock to you at the time?
It did but I was reading things online and thinking is it actually going to happen? Then it was on the news so it was a big disappointment knowing your team was going to be playing without you.

Were you frustrated knowing your teammates had started the season and you couldn’t be there?
Yes, because I was only getting back into training and into the team and then I was back home when the others were playing again.

What does it mean to you to be playing for Shamrock Rovers?
It’s an honour; I feel I am very lucky. All the players around my age would love to be here. I know I have to keep fighting for my shirt.

What school/college do you attend? (and what year are you in?)
I’m in 4th Year at Naas CBS.

Have you any idea of where you would like your career to take you when you are finished school?
To be honest I haven’t really thought about that. I’m just focussed on school and on my football at the moment.

You have played right across the back line. What position do you prefer?
I prefer centre half the most but I’ll play anywhere that Thomas (Morgan) or Ed (Saul) ask me to play. I can play left or right.

Do you model yourself on any player worldwide?
In look up to Virgil Van Dijk and Sergio Ramos. I’m a Liverpool fan and I think Van Dijk has everything about his game, everything’s good and he looks the complete player. Ramos, that speaks for itself, the amount of titles he has won.

Do you have a favourite player from the current Hoops’ senior squad?
Pico Lopes. He’s in my position, he’s in the centre, he shows good leadership. He’s always talking and puts in a good shift for the team.

Name: Darren Prendergast
Team: Rovers II (First Division)
Age: 20
Height: 172cm
Weight: 69kg

Darren, can you begin by telling us how long you have been playing for Shamrock Rovers?
I’ve been at Shamrock Rovers since January 2017. I joined from Edenderry Town and my first year was under Stephen Rice. The next year after that I was with Aidan Price and then Stephen Rice and now Aidan Price again.

Whereabouts are you from?
I am from Monasterevin, County Kildare.

You seem to be a versatile type of player; in what positions have you played for the club?
I’ve played everywhere at the back, centre back, left back, right back and CDM.

What is your own favourite position?
I think CDM because you have more involvement with the game and you set the pace of the game. When I’m watching matches myself I’m more inclined to look at what the midfielders are doing. I think that’s my favourite position.

Who was it like working under your first coach at Rovers?
It was so different training from your local team. The professionalism of all the coaches. Stephen Rice tactically brought new stuff into your mind and changed your view of the game.

How did Edenderry feel about it at the time you left?
I think they were happy at the time but obviously they were disappointed losing me but overall they were happy with the progress I had made.

Are there any players from your first team still with the club that was here when you joined?
Evan Smithers and Jordan Tallon are the two players that I played with at the start. They have progressed with me. I’m best mates with them and it’s great to see they are still here.

You were on the team that beat Bohs last November to win the Enda McGuill Cup; what were your thoughts on that achievement?
It was great because it was my first trophy at Shamrock Rovers. A lot of the players had been waiting so long to win something and it was great to finally get it, especially against Bohs at their ground.

The possibility of Shamrock Rovers entering a second team into the First Division was being discussed at that time; did you think you might have played your final game for the club that day?
Yeah, I think that’s what the thoughts were in the dressing room that it would be the last time we would see each other, play together anyway. We were delighted to think that we might have another chance to keep playing at Shamrock Rovers but we were thinking that would be our last game. I think the emotions in the dressing room from the coaches as well as the players that it might be our last game to win something for the club I think just drove us on.

There were some emotional scenes between players and family members after the game, was that because many of thought you might never play again together?
I think so because the parents got along great and so did the players. The parents were great supporting us the years we were there; I think they too thought it was the last time they were going to see each other and that drove their emotions up. They travelled all over the country, especially last year and even when we played Derry away in the cup we weren’t expecting anyone to be there but the majority of parents were there and that gave us a boost.

How do you feel your form is this year?
It’s hard to know because there has been a lack of games. I think I am progressing and I would like to think my form is still up.

What’s it like working with experienced guys such as Aidan Price and Steven Gray?
They were more defensive players as well so it’s easier for me to learn off them. They see the way I am looking at matches and they give me great feedback.

What’s the experience like training and playing with the First Division team compared to the U19s?
You see the intensity straight away. The quick decision making is the biggest thing you see and the lack of mistakes. There are no mistakes from any player and the passing is just incredible. The intensity is the first thing that hits you, it’s now like you are playing a match.

Are you attending college or studying for anything at the moment?
I am currently in Maynooth in my second year. I am studying Business and Accounting.

How do you chill out when you not playing or training?
I usually just hang around with my mates. I watch football matches and I try and get out as much as I can, just for walks or play football in the park or just have a chat. I listen to music and watch TV and that’s mostly what I do.

Name: Oisin Hand

Age: 17

Team: Under 17s

Height: 183cm

Weight: 76kg

Position: Centre half

Previous club: KDUL

How long are you with Rovers?

This is my third full season coming up now; I had a half-season (at the start) as well.

How do you feel you have progressed since joining?

I think every year I have been getting stronger, learning more from all the coaches, I have had a different manager every year and I have learned stuff from them so I feel I have developed with every manager and become a better player over the time.

Who have been your coaches?

I had Damien (Duff) for the half-season and then the next full season then Tony (Cousins) for a year and now I’ve got Thomas (Morgan) this year.

Does it affect you in any way playing under different managers?

No, I have learned little things from everybody. I’ve learned a lot in the years from Damien and all his coaches were brilliant and the same with Tony and Davy (McAllister) last year and then again with Thomas and Ed (Saul) and even when you go up with Aido (Price) and ‘Grayser’ you learn a lot from them as well. A lot of us have been lucky enough to go and train with the B team and play friendlies with them.

Have you trained along with the First Division team?

Yeah, I have been lucky enough to go and train with the B team and I have played a couple of friendlies with them.

Are you happy with your progress?

Yeah, I’m happy. Just developing and learning a lot from the coaches and the players as well so I’m really happy.

Have you had the opportunity to train with the first team?

I came on in two pre-season games against Bray Wanderers and the Irish Army team and that was a really good experience playing with them and even just being in the dressing room learning little things off them like how they treat a game. It was a friendly for all the younger players and a massive deal for us but for them although it was just a pre-season game they still wanted to win that. Their attitude and stuff were really good to see.

Do you model yourself on any player anywhere in the world?

Anywhere around the world would be Van Dijk because of how powerful and how calm he is when he is on the ball. At Rovers it would be Pico Lopes for his defending, for when he’s on the ball as well – I think he is a really good role model.

Would you actually study these players?

Yeah, even when we were on the lockdown we would be sent stuff every week. We would watch a game and we would watch a good few Rovers’ games. You would have to pick out a player in your position. I watched a lot of Pico Lopes and it’s brilliant to watch him, how he defends, how he leads the back four, it was really good to see.

You have travelled around the country for games to places such as Kerry, Galway, Donegal, Waterford and Cork. How do you prepare yourself when you are going on such a long journey?

I go to bed a good bit early the night before and wake up a good bit earlier as well so when I am getting onto the bus I am not tired and I’m fully ready for the game on the travels. I think on the long journeys that’s when you really become a team where you are going to have to dig in at places like Finn Harps, Cork and Galway where the weather is not great most of the time, teams are going to sit in or sometimes really come at you and put you under pressure early on. I think that’s where we’ve got some of our best results and gave some of our best performances and where you develop more as a player going to places like those.

Do you find that going on long journeys also helps you to bond as a squad?

Being on the bus going to places like Donegal, it’s four hours going up and again back home, you get a good team spirit and you bond well with all your teammates and the coaches.

How did you cope when you were all ready to go and then heard that the football had been shut down?

Obviously, it was a big disappointment. We had our first game due that weekend, I was with the U19s against Cabinteely and then everything was shut down. To be fair, all the coaches were brilliant with us over the whole three months. Every day we were kept busy, we had different stuff to do. It was good fun as well. The stuff they gave us was very tough but really good to do and good craic as well.

You have played in Tallaght Stadium a number of times. What’s that experience like for you?

I’m a Rovers’ fan and it means everything going playing in Tallaght. You’re up there on a Friday night and then you might be playing there yourself on Saturday. The first time we were there it was brilliant; when I was the captain and leading the boys out was some feeling.

Do you have any other favourite venue in Ireland that you like to go to?

For the Euro qualifiers with Ireland, we played all the games at Turner’s Cross. The pitch there was really nice and we had a good crowd at all the games, I liked it there.

You mentioned Ireland there, at what ages have you played for them?

I’ve played at Under 15s, Under 16s and Under 17s.

How has the experience of playing for Ireland differed from playing for Rovers?

International football is a lot quicker. You are playing different styles of football, it’s really high tempo against physical players. You learn a lot about yourself and what you could take off other players in your position from other countries. I’ve learned a lot from playing international football.

How great is the feeling of having played for your country?

It’s an unbelievable feeling and I have been lucky also to have captained Ireland a few times as well. That’s the proudest thing for you and your family when you are playing for your country, especially the European qualifiers when we qualified. The tournament was cancelled but there is no better feeling than playing for your country.

Did you keep your Ireland jerseys?

Yeah, I have my Under 15s and Under 16s jersey; we get that at the end of every season. Hopefully, they might send us out the 17s jersey!

Have you framed them?

I have two of them framed on the wall in my bedroom so it’s a nice little memento and I have my caps as well.

Is there anyone in particular who has been a particularly big influence on you?

My mam and dad make a lot of sacrifices bringing me up to training and that. They don’t have to do it. They do it because they want me to be the best I can. I have learnt off every single coach at Rovers as well and every coach has been brilliant to me since I came here.

Have you any idea of what you want to do in the future apart from football?

The number one goal is to be a footballer but that’s obviously very tough (to achieve) so next year I will be going to Carlow IT and doing Sports Business and Management so I can get into coaching and the business side of football as well.

Is this your final year in school?

I will be going into sixth year in September (at Naas CBS) and after that, I will go on to Carlow IT.

Final question Oisin. As a young person do you ever worry about the future?

No, not really. I don’t look too far ahead. Especially with my football, I keep my head down every single day and just keep working hard. There’s no point looking too far ahead or else you’ll lose track of where you are.

Name: Kevin Zefi

Team: Under 15 Airtricity League

Age: 15

Position: Winger/forward

Height: 176cm

Weight: 75kg

Tell us a little bit about your background Kevin i.e. where you were born and where you live:

I was born in Dublin Ireland and I live in Clonsilla, Dublin 15.

What school do you attend and what subjects interest you most?

I attend Luttrellstown Community College and I enjoy PE the most.

What is your first memory of football and can you remember where you got your interest in the game from?

I played in a local mini-league and I enjoyed it. I got my interest in the game from when I was younger, I used to love doing skills against other players and I just really enjoyed it.

Have you tried your hand at any other sports?

No, I haven’t but I have played GAA in primary school.

When did you join Shamrock Rovers?

It’s been about two years, just as Damien Duff left.

What was your first impression of the club?

It was a very warm welcome thanks to the staff and players.

What did you make of playing in the League of Ireland Under 15 league last year?

I learned that you have to move the ball quicker and I adapted quickly to it.

What was your standout moment with Shamrock Rovers last year?

Scoring on my debut against Waterford away.

Do you have also a standout moment with Ireland from last year?

Captaining my country against Latvia on my debut with Ireland.

What are the countries you have played against for Ireland?

Luxembourg, Faroe Islands, Latvia, Poland, England, Australia, Spain, Holland, Czech Republic.

How would you describe yourself as a player using a maximum of six words?

Skilful, powerful, creative, quick, hungry, tricky.

What’s the best piece of advice you have been given so far?

That no matter what, keep the head up, keep smiling and enjoy the game.

How are you coping with there being no football at the moment?

It’s a tough time but I’m working hard every day doing our schedule that the club has sent us. I also play a bit of football with friends.

How do you occupy yourself during the day?

Training and watching players I look up to and learning new things every day.

How did you juggle your schoolwork and football training last year?

It was tough, some days I didn’t get to complete my homework but the next day I would try and get it done in school most of the time.

What football Apps do you have on your phone?

Livescore.

Name: Dylan Duffy

Team: Under 19s/First Division

Age: 17

Position: Midfielder

Dylan, we’d like to ask you firstly to give the readers a little bit of information about your background in football.

I started my football with Blessington F.C. and then went to Lourdes Celtic, St. Kevin’s, St. Francis and now I’m here with Rovers. I signed for Rovers when I was Under 15s and my manager at the time was Damien Duff. The other coaches were Lee Raethorne, Luke Byrne and Ciaran Byrne.

You joined Rovers in Damien Duff’s first year in charge of the Under 15s and won the Galway Cup then with that team. Does that seem a long time ago to you?

It does feel like it was a long time ago because I’ve been through so much since then but that was an incredible year with a great team and great coaches.

You lost an entire year in 2018 through injury; how much did you manage last year to make up for lost time?

Coming back from 15 months out is going to be hard for anyone. The first 2/3 months after the injury were hard because I was trying to move fast but the lads on the team and the coaches all helped me to get back to my best.

Before the season was put on hold you played in each of the First Division games that were played; how was that experience?

The First Division was a great experience and it was a good challenge for me and the whole team. Hopefully, when the season comes back we can push on and start to get the results we know we can achieve.

You will also be with the Under 19s this year but having played Under 17s last year how much of a jump have you found it playing at First Division level?

It was a big jump physically; the First Division is a lot more physical than the Under 17 league. I don’t think it was anything I wasn’t ready for and I think when the league is back I can push on and have a great season.

Getting back on the pitch last year was a great achievement for you but how much did you enjoy the season under the new management team?

Last season was one of the most enjoyable seasons I have ever had and that was down to the team and coaches. Tony (Cousins) didn’t put any pressure on me when I was coming back from injury and that really helped me to get my confidence back. I think we were unlucky not to get more out of the league last year but it was still a really enjoyable season for me.

How are you managing to maintain your fitness during the current national crisis?

I think when the season is back we will all be fitter than we were when we finished because Pat Deans has all the teams doing a programme and I personally feel a lot fitter already from it. I think this lockdown in a way is good for footballers to work on individual stuff that they didn’t have the time to do when they were training.

Do you feel frustrated at not being able to train and play?

It’s really tough not being able to train and play every week. Sometimes I don’t know what to do with myself when there is no training.

With no football and no school how are you coping with the boredom?

I haven’t been that bored since the lockdown because I’ve been training every day and I still have school work to do. We have been doing Google classrooms to keep on top of school work. I’m not complaining when I can play football all day out in my garden.

Are you confident that when the season resumes you can pick up where you left off?

I’m confident when the season comes back I’ll pick up where I left off in the First Division and keep improving every week in training and games.

You are related to former Rovers’ played Jamie Duffy (2006 & 2007). In what way are you related?

Jamie is my first cousin. He taught me a lot when I was younger.

Do you have a role model and if so, who is it?

A big role model for me is my dad. He’s a hard worker and I try to be like him with my work rate on and off the pitch.