EMMET MALONEtalks to Colin Hawkins who is eager to play a role for Shamrock Rovers while picking up coaching tips

“IT WOULD,” says Colin Hawkins, perhaps a little wistfully, “be great to spend 10 years somewhere here and get your testimonial and all that the way some people can in England but the fact is it’s difficult here and you just have to get on with it.”

As another season kicks off, the 34-year-old is getting on with it rather nicely as it happens. A few weeks ago he was on the verge of re-signing for Dundalk where, because of the financial constraints placed on new manager Seán McCaffrey, he would have been one of the bigger fish in a much shrunken pool. Just as he was heading up the motorway to complete the deal, however, his phone rang and Shamrock Rovers manager Stephen Kenny asked him to swing by for a quick chat.

He enjoyed his time at Oriel Park but, in truth, Rovers didn’t take an awful lot of selling to the much travelled defender. Last year’s champions are tipped by just about everyone to retain their title and financially they are streets ahead of most of their rivals. Rovers’ new manager was an attractive part of the package too as far as Hawkins was concerned.

“I’d won a title under Stephen at Bohemians and nearly signed for him twice since, when he was at Dunfermline and Derry, so we go back a bit. I’ve always enjoyed working with him and with the coaching side of things more of a priority for me now, there really isn’t anybody that I’d prefer to be learning from.”

Hawkins has certainly played under a few managerial mentors. Iain Dowie, his boss for a time at Coventry City, stands out for his dedication and enthusiasm but injury cost the centre back his place in the team just as things were going really well and while he was out results and a change of club ownership cost the former Northern Ireland player his job.

The Galwayman, in fact, has seen a fair bit of that in his day but still sounds like a man to whom life in the dugout or on the training ground has an irresistible appeal. He already works as a coach with Blanchardstown IT and the AUL Oscar Traynor team, both of which have enjoyed significant success this season. Now, the plan is to balance playing a bit while developing his coaching skills and improving his qualifications.

“I would have been perfectly happy to go back to Dundalk,” he says. “I feel I had a pretty good season up there, I played 33 or 34 games and really enjoyed it. But Rovers was too good an opportunity to turn down. I wanted to work more on the coaching and while it was difficult to make a choice that was going to involve me playing less, it definitely felt like the right thing to do.”

Even now, as this new club’s first game of the campaign approaches tomorrow night against Drogheda United, he hasn’t, he insists, completely reconciled himself to being a bit-part player. He is, he acknowledges, there to “push” the likes of Craig Sives, Graham Gartland and Ken Oman but, he admits, “it’s still going to kill me if I’m not starting against Drogheda”.

Like his manager he points to the number of games Rovers will have to play in all competitions over the coming months and, while not wishing either injury or loss of form on anyone, he seems content he’s bound to get some game time along the way.

In the meantime he is delighted to be working with some of the best players in the country. “I couldn’t be at a better place,” he says before immediately echoing the claim of others around the club that this year’s title race will be closer and more widely contested than the pundits would have us believe.

Inevitably there’s some frustration on his part that the facilities at Irish clubs generally aren’t better and that the work coaches can do with players is restricted by the fact many have to work elsewhere to make ends meet; changed days indeed from the height of the boom.

“I missed a lot of that through being away,” says the four-times title winner, “but it seems it went a bit crazy just like everything else back here at the time. I was over in England and lads were calling me and telling stories about the money people were on and fights over penalties because of the bonuses at stake. I just couldn’t believe it but it’s all very different now.”

A contract with Rovers is as good it gets for most players in the league now but few even there are on long-term or particularly well paid deals. They do, however, have the opportunity to achieve something special together this season by winning a third straight title and Hawkins is more than happy to be a part of that.

VOX POP: The inside view

By EMMET MALONE

Tommy Dunne(Cork City manager)

Can anyone beat Shamrock Rovers to the title?

“For me, you can’t look beyond them, really; it has to be their title. Their signings have been good, the manager’s good, the club is good, the budget’s the biggest . . . everything, really, even the training facilities are good, so personally, I can’t see anyone living with them over the course of the season.

“For us, it’ll be about being competitive and progressing. People in Cork would expect us to be up there challenging, they expect that of their teams down here no matter what the sport is but I think there’s an understanding too that there’ll be the need for a bit of transition after going up from the First Division.”

Gavin Peers(Sligo Rovers defender)

Can Sligo Rovers challenge after their managerial upheaval?

“Obviously it’ll be difficult but the club signed players, good players, and it’s up to them to do it now. They’re the ones who have to step up now and make the early running.

“ After that, a lot will depend on the new manager but he’s supposed to be a good coach and hopefully we can push on under him. We’ve lost Eoin Doyle and Aaron Greene up front but brought in Stephen Quigley and Danny North, so that’s not such a bad swap. I don’t think we’ve really replaced Richie Ryan in midfield, though. Joseph [Ndo] can play there but then you lose him from somewhere else. There are a couple of younger lads who can go in but I’d still be concerned that we’ll miss Richie’s passing.”

Aaron Callaghan

(Bohemians manager)

Can Bohemians really be competitive in Europe with a team of kids?

“Well, the one thing I’d say is that even a few weeks ago when we were signing a lot of these guys I genuinely didn’t realise how good the young lads at the club are.

“It’s been really pleasing to see them in action and it augurs well for the club that we’ve got them but whether they can compete in Europe, I suppose we’ll just have to wait and see.

“I think the priority, though, has to be the league. We’ve got to be competitive in the league and we’ve got more Setanta Cup games to come so it’s going to be a difficult few weeks.

“We’ll have a better idea of how we might be fixed a few games in.”

David Cassidy(Shelbourne midfielder)

Can Shelbourne re-establish themselves as a force?

“I don’t see why not, to be honest. Everyone’s expecting Rovers to run away with the league but I don’t see it being like that, I think the league’s changed a lot and it’s going to be much closer than people think.

“We’ve got a lot of Premier Division players here, the manager signed most of them last year to get the club back up and he’s added to that. It’s a good squad and I think we can do well if everyone can gel.

“Having said that, the expectations aren’t too high and that’s good for us too; hopefully the pressure will be on some of the other clubs.”

Gary Dempsey(Waterford midfielder)

Is the First Division more of a foregone conclusion than the top flight?

“Limerick have a good squad, the biggest budget and a good manager so I suppose a lot of the sign posts are pointed that way but people in football know there’s more to winning than just turning up with a good bunch of players.

“The fact that they’re such strong favourites will make them a scalp for other clubs and the First Division is not the kindest place sometimes; there are some tough places to go on cold, wet Friday nights. We’ve had a poor pre-season but hopefully we’ll find our feet once the campaign starts and the fact we have to play them four times, while not ideal really, could be an opportunity for us or one of the other teams.

“Mervue would be my dark horses to put in a challenge; I’ve spoken to a few people who have seen them and been impressed.”