Shels star Barrett hungry to replicate 'life-changing' experience at Dundalk

PADDY Barrett says Shelbourne's players are just 90 minutes away from a “life changing” experience.

- BY MARK MCCADDEN

The League of Ireland champions can guarantee league phase football by finishing the job they started last week against Croatian giants HNK Rijeka, when they secured a shock 2-1 win in the away leg.

The winners of the tie will progress to the Europa League playoffs against either PAOK of Greece or Austrian side Wolf-berg, with the latter holding a 2-0 lead from last week.

And the losers of that playoff tie would be parachuted straight into the Conference League proper.

Barrett was a member of the Dundalk side that made it to the Europa League group stages in 2016. He is eager for a return to elite European competition.

“Obviously back then I was a lot younger” said the 32-year-old, who went on to have spells in the USA (FC Cincinnati and Indy Eleven), and Cambodia (PKR Savy Rieng) before returning to Ireland with St Patrick's Athletic and then Shel's.

“But it was an amazing experience that time, and it would be more amazing now that I'm more of a leader, older, a more mature player than I was back then.

“I had an amazing time back then but I want to recreate those memories again this time with Shelbourne. It’s something that I'm driven to do at this club.

“Obviously the plan is to get to the group stages in European competition and I think it would be amazing to do so.”

Dundalk became the second Irish club to compete in the group or league stages, after Shamrock Rovers five years earlier.