Shamrock Rovers head coach Stephen Bradley has revealed that while managing Ireland is an ambition of his, he is in no rush for that dream to be realised.
Following the departure of Stephen Kenny as Ireland boss, calls for another League of Ireland alumnus to take on the role have been few and far between, with Lee Carsley and Neil Lennon being the names most heavily linked with the job.
Speaking with RTÉ Sport's Tony O'Donoghue ahead of the 2024 League of Ireland season, Bradley outlined his ambition to manage at the highest level but feels that he is still in the learning phase of his career.
"I want to manage at the highest level possible," said the 39-year-old. "I’ve made no secret of that and that’s my ambition but I always say to players don’t be in a rush to get somewhere, learn, be better and when the right opportunity comes you’re in a much better position and you’re ready for it.
"Right now, my job is to keep improving this group, keep improving myself and in time we’ll see what will be for me."
Bradley enters the new season hoping to lift an unprecedented fifth league title in a row but as Kenny found out, winning multiple domestic trophies is no guarantee of success when the Ireland job comes along.
There are many supporters of the international team who would be wary of going down the League of Ireland route again, but Bradley feels that this is not an opinion that is held within football circles.
"I think with Stephen it was small margins and people outside of football probably think that’s an excuse but I really think it was small margins in big games," said Bradley.
"People that don’t follow football will definitely have a negative opinion if it was another manager from the league, I understand that and I think a lot of people would understand that.
"But that doesn’t mean to say that we haven’t got top managers within the league and top young coaches that are learning the trade and will be top managers. I do understand people’s opinions and views that it shouldn’t be or can’t be another manager from the league right now and I’m okay with that."
Bradley's success with the Hoops has attracted interest from England in the past, with Lincoln City making an official approach for his services back in 2022.
A move across the Irish Sea has yet to materialise and while it's something that Bradley is looking towards, his satisfaction in his current role remains high.
"I’m in no rush, I’m a young manager," he said. "I’ve made no secret that I want to manage at the highest level possible but I want to do it my way and when the right opportunity comes at the right time, we’ll have that conversation. Right now, it’s about me learning and becoming better every day. I’m in no rush to do anything, I’m happy, the squad’s in a good place and I like where we are as a group."
Bradley's charges begin their five-in-a-row hunt on Friday night when they host Dundalk at Tallaght Stadium in a game that will be broadcast live on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player.
The champions warmed up last Friday night by beating FAI Cup holders St Patrick's Athletic 3-1 in the President's Cup, a result that looked even more impressive given the fact that the team Bradley fielded was far from his first-choice XI.
The curtain-raiser gave supporters a first taste of the new North Stand at Tallaght Stadium which will increase the capacity at the ground to 10,000, and Bradley was pleased with how the night went on and off the pitch, as his team look towards bigger challenges ahead.
"When you're playing those games, you want to get a feel for where you are, mentally and physically going into the season," he said. "We liked some signs that we saw in the game and we feel like there's a lot more to come as we get sharper and fitter. We liked the signs that we saw and we're ready for Dundalk this week."
"I had to check myself a few times on Friday looking to my left and seeing the stand, it was amazing to look at. When I started as a player here against Sligo, when I think back to that night and where we are now as a club, it's brilliant.
"But we have to remember that we have no divine right to win any league or cup and Dundalk are going to be a tough team."
"I know Stephen [O'Donnell] and Patrick [Cregg] really well, they're two really good football people that know the game and they'll love having their backs against the wall and proving people wrong. I've no doubt that Dundalk are going to be a really tough team on Friday night."
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