EFL Clubs Should Take Notice as Leading Playmaker Left Out of Season-Defining Clash

=Jack Byrne is one of the best playmakers to have graced the League of Ireland’s Premier Division. However, his future is unclear, and several EFL clubs would benefit from moving for the former Republic of Ireland international. 

The 29-year-old has won three Premier Division titles and has contributed 80 goal involvements in 143 matches at the highest level of Irish Football. Byrne also starred as the Hoops lifted the FAI Cup in 2019.

Jack Byrne – The League of Ireland’s Leading Playmaker

The creative star ranks seventh in the all-time Premier Division assists charts. An impressive statistic in this regard is that no player apart from chart leader Michael Duffy (3.05) can come close to his return of an assist every 2.6 games from his 143 top-flight appearances.

His talents have not diminished as he has continued to show his playmaking abilities in the current campaign for Shamrock Rovers after an injury ruled Byrne out until May in the 2024 season. It took time for the player to recover his best form, but moving into 2025, he has done just that, averaging 2.5 key passes per game, behind only Dayle Rooney at Bohemians.

After failing to start a match until the middle of April, Byrne now leads the assist charts with seven alongside Sligo Rovers’ Will Fitzgerald and Michael Duffy of Derry City.

Few players have ever played in the Premier Division who possess the vision that Byrne has to unlock defences in the final third. The playmaker ranks in the top five for accurate passes in the final third in 2025, and players of this technical ability are hard to come by.

He was selected in The Football Deck’s Team of the Season at the midway point in May of this year.

Shamrock Rovers Star Left Out of Major European Tie – EFL Move Incoming?

EFL Clubs should take notice, as Byrne has been left out of their UEFA Conference League second leg tie against Ballkani despite Stephen Bradley’s team trailing by a goal and facing elimination from Europe. Reports are stating this is due to a disagreement with the manager over the player being left out of the tie with Derry City on August 3rd.

Byrne is technically in his prime years and has prior experience in the EFL, scoring five goals and providing nine assists in 40 third-tier matches for Oldham in 2017/18. He was part of the Republic of Ireland squad in 2019/20, accumulating a total of four caps for the Bhoys in Green.

If his relationship with Bradley has indeed deteriorated, it could see the player become available before the end of the EFL transfer window. Shamrock Rovers have a wealth of talent in midfield, but would miss the vision provided by Byrne in an advanced role.

Their loss could be a gain for clubs in the EFL as he would be talented enough to star at League One level. He would improve any of the teams expecting to compete for promotion, and it would be a major coup if clubs in the fourth tier could secure his services.

His contract is set to expire at the end of the 2025 League of Ireland season. This may indicate that he will be available for a cut-price fee. Byrne has all the makings of a standout signing, following the lead of Reece Hutchinson, who is starring in the fourth tier after leaving the Showgrounds.