Wexford FC midfielder Shane Dunne certainly has plenty to be excited about at the moment. Having recently graduated from a Sports Management and Coaching course in Carlow IT, the Meath native will soon be jetting off to the World University Games in
Wexford FC midfielder Shane Dunne certainly has plenty to be excited about at the moment.
Having recently graduated from a Sports Management and Coaching course in Carlow IT, the Meath native will soon be jetting off to the World University Games in Taipei, which runs from August 19-30.
The 24-year-old is delighted to be in Greg Yelverton's squad for the massive event in the Taiwanese capital and speaking to players who had the chance to savour the atmosphere at the Games in South Korea two years ago has only heightened that wide-eyed excitement.
“It should be a massive experience. Just talking to the lads that were there a couple of years ago in Gwangju, they said it was an unbelievable experience and one that they'd cherish for the rest of their lives. I'm really looking forward to it. I'd know a lot of the lads from playing against them at college level and obviously a lot of them play League of Ireland as well,” he said.
Dunne says he's extremely proud to don the green of Ireland and the college graduate will do his utmost to wear the colours with distinction.
“The lads were saying the opening ceremony is hard to explain, just how big the scale of it is. It doesn't happen for a lot of people so it's something I'll really cherish and I'll try to represent the country as best I can,” he said.
The adventure in Taipei will be a long way from the domestic travails of the SSE Airtricity League, where Wexford FC are rooted to the foot of the First Division, although Dunne says that the South East club have the potential to burst into full bloom.
“It's been a struggle, but that was expected from a team in transition. There's an awful lot of potential there with the younger lads. Training has been very good and we've been competing in most matches. It's just the lads don't have the experience that probably was there for the last couple of seasons and before that. Vast improvements have been made and I can only see the future being bright with all the young lads coming through,” he said.
With three teams coming down from the Premier Division due to the restructuring of the league some big clubs are going to make the drop and although it will mean tougher tests in the First Division next term, Dunne believe it should be looked on as a positive for Wexford FC and the lower league as a whole.
“That can be only good for Damian (Locke, manager) and the squad of players. They'll be testing themselves against the likes of Sligo Rovers or Drogheda, Galway or whoever comes down. They all have great grounds, so it can only be good for the First Division and they'll give it that bit more exposure,” he said.
