Soccer news: He stopped short of describing his time in the English Championship as a nightmare but there's no disguising the fact Jason Byrne is glad to be home.
The Dubliner was officially unveiled as a Bohemians player yesterday having joined for three years on a free transfer from Cardiff City.
The Republic of Ireland international links up again with manager Pat Fenlon, under whom he won three league titles at Shelbourne before trying his luck in England.
Despite scoring against Wolverhampton on his Cardiff debut, the season failed to pan out the way Byrne would have hoped. He made just 10 appearances, only two of which were starts, in a year at Ninian Park.
"It's just one of those things but when you look back on life you can say that you gave it a go. I've no regrets," he said.
"I went over to do a job and it started off well but then it just went downhill. I scored on my debut and I thought it would kick on.
"But in football you get ups and downs, and from there on in it was a down in my career. It wasn't a nightmare as such, rather one of those things where the manager doesn't like you and you just have to get on with it."
He tried getting on with it but when manager Dave Jones signed both Robbie Fowler and Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink, Byrne knew he was out of favour.
The former Bray and Shelbourne striker was instead leading the scoring charts for Cardiff's reserves but scoffed when reminded of that yesterday.
But his scoring record is unquestionable in the League of Ireland, having topped the charts for four successive years before his departure. Still, Byrne feels he has something to prove on his return.
"You'd always want to prove your previous manager wrong. I know he probably didn't think I'm good enough for the league over there but I believe in my own abilities. Hopefully I can be as prolific, but I need to knuckle down and get my place in the team first."
Fenlon refused to rule out a move for former Cork City midfielder George O'Callaghan, who has returned to Ipswich following a loan spell with Brighton. But Fenlon would have to sell first as the club has already met its transfer budget by bringing Byrne, Killian Brennan and Ken Oman to Dalymount Park.
• Kilkenny City may be replaced in the League of Ireland this season by Sporting Fingal according to John Delaney who said yesterday that the Buckley Park outfit's ability to continue playing at national level is uncertain, writes Emmet Malone.
"There's a question mark over Kilkenny City," said the FAI chief executive.
"I spoke to Jim Rhatigan about that but whatever happens in Kilkenny I want to make sure that the ground is there for Irish football and we'd be looking at how we develop that with Jim.
Delaney also conceded that Limerick 37 are urgently seeking new investment as a result of running into financial difficulties just one year after being established.
"I think they'll find the investment they need in Limerick, I really do," he said, "but we'll see how things transpire in the next week or two with those two clubs.
"We have ready made alternatives to come into the First Division. Sporting Fingal are one example. They would be a prime candidate in my opinion."