Arsenal-bound Ozhianvuna to feature against Santa Clara

Shamrock Rovers manager Stephen Bradley says that teen sensation Victor Ozhianvuna will feature in the club's Conference League play-off second leg with Santa Clara at Tallaght Stadium.

The 16-year-old played no part in the 2-1 away win last week against the Portuguese club that finished fifth in the Primeira Liga last term, but since that memorable result, it has been reported that Arsenal are set to pay a record League of Ireland fee to secure the services of the left-sided player from January 2027.

The reported €2m fee - eclipsing the €1.7m paid by Tottenham Hotspur for St Patrick’s Athletic Mason Melia – could rise significantly with additional clauses.

Speaking to RTÉ Sport, Bradley said the teenager is back in the mix for the return leg.

"Victor is in there," he said. "The move is just about complete, once it is we can talk in more detail about it. He had a little knock the last couple of weeks, but he will be back involved tomorrow for sure."

Earlier this year Michael Noonan became the youngest-ever goalscorer in the Europa Conference (16 years and 197 days) when the Hoops defeated Molde, and Bradley spoke of the importance of looking after the younger players of a squad.

"You have got to feed them in at the right time, take them out," he said. "You have got to make sure they are OK off the pitch because it is a lot to take. It’s really important that we look after their welfare on and off the pitch."

Rovers find themselves just 90 minutes away from European group phase football couresy of a famous result at the Estadio de Sao Miguel, where goals from Danny Grant and Danny Mandroiu sealed a 2-1 victory.

It could prove to be lucrative night for Irish football with Shels well placed to advance to the Conference group stages also.

They hold a two-goal advantage heading into the second leg against Linfield, coming out on top in a chaotic 3-1 victory at Tolka Park.

Bradley says the promising position for both clubs is exactly what the League of Ireland is striving for.

"It has to be what we are aiming for as a league, to keep progressing," he said. "This is the next step. I’ve always said we need to embrace these challenges. Hopefully tomorrow night, ourselves and Shels are celebrating league phase competition. It can only be a good thing for the league.

"It raises standards right around the league. I’m sure every other club will be looking at it thinking, 'that’s what we want’."

Aside from Connor Malley, Bradley has a full squad to select from. He wouldn't be drawn on the future of Jack Byrne, who has fallen out of favour and was not registered for Rovers' European squad in the previous round against Kosovo's Ballkani.

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