Stephen Bradley has revealed that his eight-year-old son is ill - and the Shamrock Rovers head coach has stressed that family will come first at this time as he may have to miss some matches.
Bradley was not at Oriel Park for last Friday’s defeat to Dundalk, when sporting director Stephen McPhail took charge, but he is planning to be on the sideline for Friday’s derby clash with Bohemians in Tallaght. At his pre-match press conference on Thursday, Bradley wanted to address the personal matter while requesting privacy for his family thereafter.
Bradley, a father of three, said: “My son is not well and while I know people know, I would rather leave it as a private matter. It all comes down to my son and how he is. If he is not responding right to treatment, that is where I will be.
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“I spoke to the players and the group and the club have been brilliant in terms of their support. It all comes down to my son. He and the family are the priority for me.”
Bradley continued: “Right now he is responding well and doing well, which allows me to be here and focus on what we're doing. We're taking it day-by-day really.”
Asked about attending matches in the weeks ahead, Bradley said: “If his treatment allows me to be, and if all is going well, I will be. He comes first. If he responds well to the treatment, hopefully I can be at games and training as much as possible. That's what he wants me to do.”
Bradley was eager to speak about Friday’s match where a 7,500 sell-out crowd will attend at Tallaght Stadium. Rovers are looking to bounce back after that 1-0 defeat to Dundalk, with the Lilywhites just five points off the champions in second place and with a game in hand.
Bradley said: “I think we're always strong in the second part of the season and I don't see this being any different.
“We don't react just on results - you have to look at the whole picture and history shows that we're usually very, very strong in the second half of the season. And I don't see that being any different. We're in a good position and it's time to really go to work, put a run together and do what we do in the second part of the season.”
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