THE SURVIVORS
What Stephen McPhail and Stephen Bradley have had to endure over the past two decades is a tale of glory and triumph, tragedy and despair.
Both seemed destined for stardom and were praised or pursued by the Premier League’s top managers. But then came the brutal stabbing which almost took Bradley’s life, never mind career, while he was an Arsenal apprentice, and the cancer battle that shook former Leeds United prodigy McPhail to his core – a battle that began in November 2009 and that, ultimately, he has been able to win.
McPhail, now 39, is the sporting director of Shamrock Rovers, Ireland’s most successful club, where he works in tandem with Bradley, 34, the Hoops’ head coach. They’re united by a desire to help change the landscape of Irish football by using their shared experiences for good.
FourFourTwo meets the duo at the club’s training ground. The shared facility on the outskirts of Dublin, within the grounds of a social centre belonging to a national building company, belies the club’s ambitions.
There has been a significant seven-figure investment in facilities and operational costs in recent years, with an emphasis placed on a burgeoning academy that is spearheaded by former Rovers midfielder Shane Robinson.
The club is owned equally by its supporters and
