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On May 18th, 2008, Stephen McPhail led his Cardiff City teammates out onto the pitch for an FA Cup Final meeting with Premier League Portsmouth. He was club captain of a side containing legendary figures such as Jimmy Floyd Hasslebank and Robbie Fowler as well as the emerging Aaron Ramsey. The Rush native had been vital in the run up to the final. His side were defeated 1-0 by a first half Kanu strike but that took nothing away from the 10 cap Ireland international and his side’s achievement.

Just over a year after that momentous day though, McPhail was hit with the shock of being diagnosed with Lymphoma, a type of blood cancer. He thought his career may be over but after making a full recovery he briefly continued to play for the Bluebirds before making the move back to Yorkshire, this time to Sheffield Wednesday. Last week, he had his contract with the club terminated after taking up an opportunity handed to him by Trevor Croly and Shamrock Rovers.

He explains that the split with Wednesday was more than amicable: “Yeah they were fine, I spoke to them a month or so ago when I had more or less made my mind up, and they were fine with that. I had a great short but sweet time there and I’m sure they’ll be fine this season. “

McPhail seemed set on Shamrock Rovers from the minute he spoke to the boss and did not even explore the option of any other clubs as in his eyes, he’d found the biggest club: “I spoke to Trevor (Croly) over christmas and I didn't want to speak to anyone else or go anywhere else. I knew this was my chance to come home and this for me is the biggest club in the country. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do (play in Ireland) and I’m delighted we got it done.“

Although many fans of English football who live on these shores will continue to hold down the standard, professionalism and facilities of the League of Ireland, as a man who has now experienced a variety of different clubs, McPhail feels the similarities are more than many would expect, especially with the stewardship of Trevor Croly: “Trevor has a good idea of how England works having been over there and done his badges there. He has all of this based completely on how they do it over there. Possibly the facilities aren’t as good but that’s about it. Everything else is straightforward and he runs the club in the same was as all the ones in England. “

His aforementioned experience as a leader on the field for previous clubs will immediately demand respect within the league, but McPhail is much more modest, insisting he just wants to play football and if any young players need advice he is there to help: “I’m just going to try and lend my experience, I’ve been around the block a bit football wise and there is a lot of young lads in the squad, some only 15-16 years old . So I was playing in England when they weren’t even born so stuff like that can be a bit mind boggling. But I’m not a shouter, I’ll just try and help people on and off the pitch. If they want to ask me a question about anything I’ll be there and tell them as honestly as possible what I feel and lead by example by training well and looking after myself.“

The clash on everyone’s lips in the league will undoubtedly be the imminent battles between McPhail and fellow international Keith Fahey when Ireland’s most successful club lock horns with the current champions. It is a battle McPhail looks forward to but there is another old friend and foe he is eager to get down to battle with:”Keith is a super footballer. I know that from the time he has spent in England and he performed really well there. There is Colin Healy down in Cork too who I’ve played with and against over the years. Colin and myself are coming to the end now and the closer you get to the end you always want new challenges and enjoy it more while still doing your best and I’ll be no different.“

McPhail, a man of much experience, showed no ego though as I finished my chat with him by explaining that he had a lot of advice handed to him by a younger man, Paul Corry, whom he chatted to repeatedly about the league during his time at Wednesday and has no doubts on the talent of his midfield compatriot: “Paul’s been big actually, to be honest he is probably sick of me asking him about it but I’ve just been trying to pick his brain. He played in the league for a while and he told me I’ll enjoy it because your home and playing at a decent standard of football. Paul is a great lad and hopefully he does well over in England. It’s a difficult time to get in the team over there with the amount of midfielders they have but he definitely has the talent and ability to succeed so hopefully he’ll push on. “