Golden boot Sammie vows to ‘go again next year’ but Premier League clubs may swoop for top scorer
Blackburn Rovers' Sammie Szmodics celebrates
The battle to stay up was won by Blackburn Rovers, largely down to the goals of Ireland international Sammie Szmodics. And now another battle looms as the Lancashire club know they will struggle to hold on to the Championship's top scorer after his stunning season. Blackburn scored 60 league goals and Szmodics was responsible for almost half, his tally of 27 in the league (he scored another six in the cups) putting him seven clear of his closest rival for the Golden Boot.
He happily claimed that top scorer award after netting twice in the second half in a 2-0 win away to a Leicester City side who were in party mode after securing the title a few days earlier. It was an achievement for an Ireland international to win the Golden Boot, only the third Irishman to do it in the 33-year history of the Championship: Shane Long, with 21 goals for Reading (2010/2011) and Daryl Murphy, 27 goals for Ipswich in the 2014/2015 season - were the others.
"Now time for a well earned rest and to go again next year. Enjoy your summer," Szmodics said in a social media post aimed at Blackburn fans. Whether he will "go again" in a Rovers shirt next season has to be in doubt and after such a punishing season - he played 50 games for club and country - it cannot be taken for granted that he will be available for Ireland duty next month for the Portugal/Hungary double header.
John O'Shea already knows he will be without a chunk of his squad for that window due to fitness as Gavin Bazunu, John Egan, Darragh Lenihan, Evan Ferguson and Jayson Molumby all had season-ending injuries.
Chiedozie Ogbene, Seamus Coleman, Aaron Connolly and Michael Obafemi have not played in recent weeks and while Obafemi's club season is over as he ends his loan spell with Millwall and returns to Burnley, Ogbene and Coleman will need game time in the closing stages of the Premier League season to be sure of a summer release while Connolly's absence from the Hull squad for the last four games of the season is not a good sign for his availability, his contract now up as he plans talks with Hull on on a new deal.
With players like Szmodics and Alan Browne likely to be in demand in the summer transfer market, their focus may be on a rest over the summer, though Browne's in a different position to Szmodics as the Cork man is out of contract with Preston and free to speak to clubs so reporting for international duty will be his decision and he’s not likely to reject Ireland’s call.
But Szmodics has a year left on his deal with Blackburn, who also have an option for an extra 12 months, making him a very marketable player, especially for a newly-promoted side like Leicester and Rovers may be cool on the notion of their prize asset being on Ireland duty until June 12.
The standard season in the EFL has finished though there are playoffs to be played with Irish interest, in terms of ups and downs, across all four divisions. Scott Hogan is the biggest casualty of the Championship season as his Birmingham City side were relegated, notable that it was the man Birmingham sacked to make way for Wayne Rooney - John Eustace - who went on to keep Blackburn up.
The playoffs could dictate the summer fate of two players, with Mikey Johnston on loan to West Brom from Celtic, who took Adam Idah on loan from Norwich. Celtic appear keen to make the Idah loan a permanent move while promotion for West Brom could also lead to a sale by Celtic and a long-term deal.
Elsewhere in the Championship, players like Enda Stevens and Ciaran Clark (Stoke) are out of contract while James McClean is also a free agent but newly-promoted Wrexham are almost certain to offer him fresh terms.
CHAMPIONSHIP
Promoted: Kasey McAteer, Tom Cannon (Leicester), Jack Taylor, Marcus Harness (Ipswich) Playoffs: Jayson Molumby, Mikey Johnston* (WBA), Will Smallbone, Ryan Manning, Gavin Bazunu (Southampton), Shane Duffy (Norwich) Relegated: Scott Hogan (Birmingham), Peter Kioso (Rotherham)
League One
Promoted: Conor Shaughnessy, Sean Raggett, Joe Rafferty, Anthony Scully (Portsmouth); James Collins, Eiran Cashin, Conor Hourihane (Derby C) Playoffs: Tyler Goodrham, Stephan Negru (Oxford); Barry Cotter, Conor Grant, Corey O'Keeffe, Luca Connell (Barnsley) Relegated: Sean Long, Greg Sloggett, Liam Kinsella, Will Ferry, Aidan Keena (Cheltenham); David Harrington, Bosun Lawal*, Gavin Kilkenny*, Ronan Coughlan, Ryan Graydon, Tom Lonergan, Promise Omochere, Cian Hayes (Fleetwood); Seani Maguire, Sean Grehan*, JJ Kayode* (Carlisle)
League Two
Promoted: Paddy Madden, Neill Byrne (Stockport); James McClean, Anthony Forde, Luke McNicholas, Tom O’Connor, Eoghan O’Connell, Liam McAlinden (Wrexham); Stephen Quinn, Stephen McLaughlin (Mansfield) Playoffs:Warren O'Hora (MK Dons), Ian Lawlor (Doncaster), Liam Kelly (Crawley) Relegated: Richard Keogh (Forest Green)
*Indicates player is on loan
