Rovers boss Bradley potentially on the radar of Lincoln City
ACCORDING to a report in today’s Irish Daily Star, Shamrock Rovers boss Stephen Bradley could emerge as a viable candidate for the vacant managerial post at English League One outfit Lincoln City.
While it appears to be just speculation for the moment, it is suggested the Imps would not only be interested in recruiting the Tallaght native for the 2022/23 season, but also his assistant Glenn Cronin and the Hoops’ Sporting Director Stephen McPhail.
Lincoln are on the lookout for someone to fill the hot seat at Sincil Bank Stadium, after Michael Appleton departed the role in the wake of their final game in the 2022/23 campaign on Saturday.
A former Manchester United youth prodigy (who enjoyed a brief spell as caretaker manager of Leicester City in 2017), Appleton guided Lincoln to the League One play-off final in 2020/21, before falling to a 17th place finish in the season just gone.
The fact that the Imps seemingly have their eye on three of Rovers’ backroom set-up speaks volumes for the work being done behind the scenes at Tallaght Stadium.
Interestingly, the current bookies’ favourite for the Lincoln job in the UK is Ian Foster – the current England U19s supremo who previously held the reins at Galway United and Dundalk.
Since taking over from Pat Fenlon in 2016 – initially on an interim basis – Bradley has enjoyed a rollercoaster ride as Shamrock Rovers manager.
The first couple of years wasn’t without its tribulations for the former Lourdes Celtic underage star, but a second place Premier Division finish and an FAI Cup success in 2019 signified that progress was being made.
Back-to-back league titles followed in 2020 and 2021 and with just three points separating them from top-flight pace-setters Derry City, they remain in the hunt for top honours during the current term.
He may well want to stay at the helm to secure a third consecutive Premier Division title, but that is of course under the proviso that he is actually approached by Lincoln.
