In leading Drogheda United U20s to title success, Osaze Irhue rediscovered his love for the game
The Drogheda United Under 20s skipper spoke to Love Is The Drog on Saturday after lifting the league trophy at United Park.
Whatever happens, Osaze Irhue can be assured of his place in Drogheda United history.
At 20-years-old, his time in youth football is at an end and his last act as a player at underage level was to accept the Dr Tony O’Neill Cup from Pat Duffy before holding it aloft while mobbed by his jubilant teammates, unanimously proud of their achievement and giddy with excitement for the evening of celebrations to come.
The team have created their own bit of history by claiming the first league title at this level for Drogheda and Irhue, as captain, can proudly reflect on a season where he led his team to an unprecedented success.
From his early days at United - Irhue joined the club from Athlone Town in July 2023 - the centre back was identified as a leader in the pack. Just six games into his nascent Drogs career, he was handed the captaincy. He has donned the armband ever since.
Taking on the responsibility of the captaincy was a task met with relish by the then 19-year-old.
“It’s everything, honestly,” he told Love Is The Drog on Saturday when asked what this triumph meant to him. “It’s about the graft as a team and as an individual as well. Lifting the trophy is a symbol of all the hard work we’ve put in throughout the season.”
We have our chat in the corridor outside the clubhouse function room which these days serves as a dressing room. Inside, as players enjoy a plentiful supply of pizza and chocolate, music is blaring. The party was only getting started. Freed From Desire, the 1997 Eurodance hit by Gala - now a modern day football terrace favourite - played on the sound system.
Irhue describes the team’s start to the campaign as "a bit wobbly” - they beat Dundalk on the opening day before drawing with Derry City and succumbing to a home defeat to Shelbourne. Then, everything clicked.
“After that we went on a run. Building that momentum and winning the first six games in the elite phase…it’s (the league win) well deserved in my opinion,” he says.
What worked so well?
“I think it’s the togetherness of the group, really. There’s no separate groups, everyone gets on. As a team we know when to criticise each other, when to lift each other, when to motivate one another. I think it’s the close knitness of the group that has really pushed us through.
“We probably have two of the best strikers in the league in Killian (Cailloce) and Bridel (Bosakani), they’ve been scoring goals every week for us and then it’s up to me and Evan (Haddock) and Manny (Milongo) at the back to keep clean sheets. I think we’re defending first as a group and then the attack will sort itself out.”
With age group football of course, turnover is inevitable year-on-year. Many of these players have come up through the ranks at United, from Under 15 level to now. The last four years have been a journey - and now it’s at its end.
Haddock, Finn Moore, Ultan McLaughlin, Cian Cleary, Conall Cronin, Tadgh Dunne, Cameron Feehan and Killian Cailloce all fall into that category.
Irhue, Milongo, Bosakani and Callum Warren are among those whose time in youth football is an end. For the central defender - who has made three competitive first team appearances this season in the Leinster Senior Cup - what’s next is a question to which he doesn’t have an answer just yet.
“I’m not sure,” he says when the topic of the future comes up. “A few conversations need to be had with myself and John Donohue. I’ll have to weigh up my options elsewhere. It’s probably a bit early to decide.”
If the story of his time as a Drogs player is at an end, Saturday was the perfect way to close this particular chapter. Swapping the Midlanders for Drogheda offered a new lease of life to a player desperately in need of one.
“It’s been incredible,” he reflects. That’s probably a big thanks to Gav (Gavin Fleming). For me anyway, I probably wasn’t in a great place in football before I came to Drogheda. Gav has been a mentor to me through that, getting me back to where I was. Helping me with the first team when I’m up training there or up playing Leinster Senior Cup matches. More so, it’s a big thanks to Gav who has helped me through ups and downs here.”
“I lost my enjoyment of the game. Last summer, Gav gave me a call and said we’ll get you down here and get you back enjoying your football. That was his main thing, getting me back enjoying my football. When you’re enjoying your football again, that’s where you start seeing results. You improve.”
Becoming captain of a team that had a core of players that been together for three years prior speaks to the impact Irhue made on his new coach and those around him. Not that it was expected.
“I was surprised. I think it was Pats away last summer. Our captain Jack Supple at the time, he moved on to UCD and we didn’t have a captain. Before the game, he said ‘Osaze, you’re going to be captain today’ - I was a bit surprised, me being new. I had only played a few games.
“What Gav said after was it was the way I handled myself with the lads, (that) I’m a real leader within the group and everyone respects my opinion. I just had to take that role of leadership. I’m worried about myself as an individual but I have to carry the team along with me. If the team’s down, like when we went on our winless run, it’s more so being a leader and getting the team through it.”
Get through it they did and more besides. Drogheda’s young stars passed their examination with flying colours in 2024.