The League of Ireland is back.
After the truncated campaign last year, we return with a couple of fresh clubs in the top division and lots of new faces scattered throughout the top flight.
There's two games tonight and three more to look forward to on Saturday as the champions begin their title defence and Drogheda United make their return to the Premier Division.
Drogheda United v Waterford, Head In The Game Park, 5.45pm (Live on WatchLOI)
Tim Clancy's Drogs finished their pre-season with a disappointing 4-1 defeat to Bray Wanderers but they have recruited well in the off-season and will be desperate to start with a win.
Waterford come to town with former Republic of Ireland midfielder Kevin Sheedy and former Blackburn Rovers man Mike Newell in the dugout.
Team news
Drogheda United: Mark Hughes is the Drogs only absentee.
Waterford: Darragh Power is out with a hamstring strain.
What they said
Tim Clancy (Drogheda United manager): "We've got options, there's different ways we want to play. We've got competition for every place in every position. We've a bit of a headache for team selection but we'll be ready to go."
Kevin Sheedy (Waterford manager): "We've learned a lot from the Cork and Wexford games about some of our strengths and weaknesses and spent the week ironing those out. We’ll travel knowing we’ve prepared ourselves for the challenge so we’re really looking forward to it."
Shamrock Rovers v St Pat's, Tallaght Stadium, 7.45pm (Live on RTÉ2 and the RTÉ Player)
The reigning champions kick off their title defence with an intriguing Dublin derby.
Stephen Bradley's Hoops came so close to doing a league and cup double last term, and they'll be highly motivated to silence those suggesting their title success was not the real deal due to the fact it was played over just 18 games.
St Pat's simply didn't score enough goals last year. Ronan Coughlan's arrival from Sligo Rovers should help, while the fact the the Saints were the only team Shamrock Rivers did not beat in the league in 2020 should give them confidence of coming away with at least a point.
Team news
Shamrock Rovers: Sean Kavanagh, Neil Farrugia and Lee Grace missed last week's President's Cup clash against Dundalk but have been monitored this week.
St Pat's: Stephen O'Donnell has a full and healthy squad to choose from.
What they said
Stephen Bradley (Shamrock Rovers manager): "It's always nice to start the campaign with a win and obviously that will be our aim again this year but we understand that we’re against a good side and we’ve got to respect that. It's going to be a tough game and we have to be ready for that. They’ve added to their squad so I imagine they’ll be up there this year."
Paddy Barrett (St Pat's defender): "The first step is to improve from last year both on the field and off the field and already, even though I'm only in the door I feel like it’s something we can do. After that hopefully we can climb the table and our overall aim is to go and win trophies, whether that be the league or the cup."
Watch Shamrock Rovers v St Pat's live on RTÉ2 and the RTÉ Player on Friday from 7.30pm
Listen to the RTÉ Soccer podcast on Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
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