Tipperary player gets ready to face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge

Lee Grace from Carrick-on-Suir is getting ready for one of the biggest matches of his career this Thursday night, when Shamrock Rovers play Chelsea in the UEFA Conference League at Stamford Bridge.

It has been an incredible European campaign for the Dublin club so far, with three wins from their five games and prize money of €5.6 million confirmed.

Irrespective of what happens on Thursday night against the team currently sitting in second place in the Premier League, Rovers already have a playoff spot guaranteed for the New Year.

Last month former Carrick United player Lee Grace was named the 2023 League of Ireland Men’s Player of the Year. He received the award at the Aviva Stadium before Ireland’s Nations League game against Finland.

The 32-year-old, who usually plays on the left of a back three, played 27 games for Shamrock Rovers as they won their fourth league title in row. Grace played in all four of those successful seasons and also won the FAI Cup with the Tallaght-based club in 2019.

He had left Carrick United for Wexford Youths. He spent two seasons in Wexford, where he won the First Division title in 2015.

Lee joined Galway United ahead of the 2017 season, when he played every minute of every game before signing for Rovers in the summer 2017 transfer window.

He became a fans’ favourite almost immediately, and won the club’s player of the year award in 2018.

Rovers’ 3-0 defeat of Bosnian champions Borac last week meant they became the first League Of Ireland team to reach the knockout stages in a major European competition.

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