Oscar Brennan: I had no real pedigree if you'd like as a schoolboy, to come from that into a professional league was great

2019 is shaping up to be a massive year for Shelbourne in the First Division. However, despite the early optimism, the new arrivals at the club will be acutely aware that nothing will come easy in next year’s second tier.

One man certainly used to knockbacks, as every Shels fan will painfully know all too well of, is new signing Oscar Brennan.

Now 22, Brennan has had to graft his way to the top level of football this country has to offer. The road has never been easy for the Leopardstown native after years of rejection at schoolboy level.

Speaking exclusively to extratime.ie, Brennan reveals his reasons as to why he swapped Phibsborough for Drumcondra, while also looking back on his rise through the ranks as a young midfield star at Cabinteely before ultimately looking back fondly on a ‘brilliant’ two years at Dalymount Park with Bohemians. 

“It was a combination of things.” Brennan noted on his decision to move to Shelbourne.

“First of all, I wasn’t really playing all too much in the last few months at Bohs so that was something that was on my mind. I sat down with Keith (Long) and that was discussed and with Ian Morris getting the job there it was something I was interested in.

“I’ve met Shels before and with Morro coming in and getting the job that was a big factor and once I spoke to him and Dave O’Connor, the CEO, and Andrew Doyle, the owner, I was really excited by what they had to say about the club and what they want to achieve in the next few years.”

While the future is bright at Shels, just a few years ago, it was looking unlikely that the now 22-year-old Dubliner would be good enough to compete at senior League of Ireland level.

When his debut finally arrived for Cabinteely in March 2016, in front of no less than 1200 spectators, all of the hard work appeared to be vindicated.

“That was huge. There was a massive crowd there that night and it was a big deal for me.” Brennan admits.

“I had no real pedigree if you’d like as a schoolboy. I never played Premier DDSL football, I had no underage international caps.

“I played with some poor enough Leinster Senior League sides so to come from that to be playing in a professional league was great.

They say a year of regular first-team football can open doors for any young player in the First Division, that it did for Oscar Brennan who then made the move to Bohemians after a stellar year with Cabo.

However, it was an unorthodox move for the then 19-year-old who had no real understanding of the League of Ireland’s transfer market.   

“The move (to Bohs) was a strange one.” He said.  

“I had no contact from the club (Cabinteely), none of the players heard back from the club for 6-8 weeks and I was in limbo.

“Honestly, at the time, I didn’t even know if Cabo were going to be re-entered into the league that’s how little contact we had from the club.

“I didn’t really know what was going to happen and Keith (Long) got in touch with me but it was nothing concrete.

“I played a trial match (with the PFAI) and played reasonably well. Keith (Long) rang me afterwards and he said he’d sign me.”

The coming two years were to provide the young Dubliner with some of the most memorable moments of his career to date.

From a rocky debut all the way to his efforts with the Bohemian Foundation, Brennan has certainly more than enough memories to last a lifetime at Dalymount Park.

“I did well in pre-season (after signing from Cabinteely), started the first game of the season and I played at centre-back. We (then) got bashed 4-1 by Derry.

“I didn’t play well, and I never played there again, I went straight into midfield but didn’t play again for the next two or three weeks.

“It was a big transition, but I did get up to the standard quick enough. I was pretty much in the team week in, week out for the next eighteen months after being dropped. It is a big step-up but it’s not beyond anyone really who has played in the First Division.”

“It was great, and it really added to my experience of the club.” Oscar said on his experience with the Bohemian Foundation.

 “I had time in the summer because I was off college, so I just got onto them and went into the prison with Sups (Shane Supple) and it was brilliant. I really enjoyed my time helping out in the prisons, doing walking football as well.

“It’s a fantastic thing that the club has and hopefully whoever comes in to the club and whoever is there can keep it going.

“The foundation will be there but at the end of the day it’s the players that people really want to see at walking football, in schools or in the prisons and hopefully they can keep it going.”

And finally, one of Ian Morris’ most notable early acquisitions sent out an ominous warning to the First Division as he looks to a potentially triumphant 2019 at his new club. 

 “I want to win the league. It’s as simple as that really. Everyone has to have that ambition at the club. From speaking to those at the club and the manager, that’s what they want to do, to win the league.

“Hopefully by putting in good performances we can get the crowds back to Tolka. The fans are there, it’s just about getting them back to the ground.

“Hopefully we can get some good early momentum and we can push ourselves over the line and hopefully win the league and at the very least get promotion through the Playoffs next season!”