Uefa Conference League: Shelbourne v BK Häcken, Tallaght Stadium, 8pm (Premier Sports 1, 7.15pm)
Joey O’Brien has told his Shelbourne FC players to have no regrets as they begin a major new chapter in the club’s history.
On the back of their glorious title success last season, Shelbourne have made the most of the champions path in Europe to forge a route to the league phase of the Uefa Conference League for the first time.
That story moves on to Tallaght Stadium on Thursday night for the visit of Swedish top-flight side BK Häcken in their opening game.
It’s been a reinvigorating few years for the club after they finally rose again to re-establish themselves from the flames of their financial collapse in 2006.
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Though head coach O’Brien, who took charge following Damien Duff’s sudden departure in June, wants his players to fully embrace these times, there has been little reflection on where the club had been for much of the previous two decades.
“No, I think over the course of that journey it was a start for us compared to people in the background and fans who have been there all their life,” O’Brien said.
“But since I’ve been involved in the football club, that gradual growth, there’s been players there from day one. So, I’m sure they know what it’s about.
“That’s why it was great to have those [European] games at Tolka Park and there was great work done in the background to make that happen.
“Now we are here and they [fans] will travel in great numbers. It’s a great stadium to play in.
“It’s going to be a great night for the football club, though that [history] stays in the background.
“We have to take care of business. What happens at eight o’clock tonight is the most important thing.”
Days like this were far from O’Brien’s thoughts when he came in with Duff in advance of the 2022 season.
“Without a doubt. When you look at it, we took over a team that had just been promoted and where the budget was at. They had been a First Division team and there was a turnover of players,” he said.
“You look back at that and then the journey, getting to a cup final, qualifying for Europe and then winning the league within three years was phenomenal.
“But that is in the past. You have to look forward. That’s what it was about his season. I said to the boys, this was about going into Europe, getting games and getting to the group stage. It’s now about tonight, to go out and attack the game and don’t be thinking about having another game in a few weeks.”
It’s very much an occasion O’Brien is relishing. And he wants his players to do likewise.
“It’s brilliant. It’s why you are in football. When I was a kid playing I never lost sight of how precious those moments can be, how fleeting they can be as well,” he said.
“So be sure to embrace them. That’s the message I put across to the lads that these opportunities don’t come around all the time. So make sure you have no regrets.
“I think so far we have done that. It starts again tonight.”
O’Brien travelled to Gothenburg last Saturday to watch Häcken beat Norrköping 2-0. Although Häcken sit 10th in their league, he is fully aware of the challenge the Swedish cup winners bring to Dublin 24 on Thursday night.
Häcken knocked out Belgian side Anderlecht along the way before registering a big win over Romanians Cluj in the play-off round.
“They are a very attacking team who create a lot of chances,” a wary O’Brien said.
“For us it’s to realise what their threats are and also focus on their weaknesses and where we can hurt them and how we can hurt them.
“I wouldn’t read too much into where they are in the league. Their European stuff has been really good. They beat Cluj 7-2 in the first leg.
“I suppose that’s a warning sign of just how attacking they can be.”
