ZAK BRADSHAW was so caught up in a revolving door that he has never met the clubmates he could come up against today.
But the Dundalk defender knows enough about derby games from his loan moves to have an idea about what to expect against Drogheda.
Bradshaw, 20, moved from Ipswich Town to Lincoln City on February 1 — which was transfer deadline day in England.
The League of Ireland transfer window was still open, however, and before Bradshaw got a chance to settle at Sincil Bank, he joined Dundalk on loan 72 hours later.
By then, fellow Imps Hayden Cann and Oisín Gallagher had signed for rivals Drogheda, meaning he will meet them for the first time in the thick of competitive action.
Bradshaw acknowledged: “It’s a weird one. They play for Lincoln, I’m aware, but I’ve never really met them.”
He left Ipswich without ever making the first team but had gained experience during loans with four non-league clubs.
He said: “I got picked up by Ipswich at 17 after playing Sunday League, then I went on various loans to National League South.
“Then, we moved to Lincoln. Within two days of that transfer, they said they wanted to loan us to Dundalk. They had a couple of players they sent to Ireland last year — they quite like the League of Ireland.
“They had that in the back of their minds when they asked me to come across.
“The thinking was that if I can’t get too many games for them then I can get them here at a good standard.
“I played National League this year and it is a really physical league. This league is probably not as physical but the quality is so much better here, so it is a good change for me and I have really enjoyed it.”
Along the way, he got an insight into local rivalry when he lined out for Chelmsford against Braintree and Woking against Aldershot.
He said: “I played in the Essex derby and the derby between Aldershot and Woking were big ones.
“There was 7,000 at the Aldershot/Woking game, on Boxing Day and it was a proper, proper big game.
“But this one, Drogheda versus Dundalk, is big. You can tell that by the fans.
“When we go for coffee, people nudge us in the cafe, say stuff like, ‘The derby is in two weeks’ time’, or this week, they were saying, ‘Big game coming up on Monday’.
“I totally get it. I’m from north London. I’m a Tottenham fan, I know what a derby means to fans. I’m totally buzzing.”
There is more than just local bragging rights at stake.
RISING UP
Dundalk have been propping up the table since a 5-0 home defeat to Sligo Rovers on March 4.
A win at would not only see them climb off the bottom but leapfrog Kevin Doherty’s side in the process.
Although Noel King’s appointment as manager was not well received, since he has come in — albeit Brian Gartland continues to call the shots from the sidelines — Dundalk have claimed their first win of the campaign against Bohemians and held leaders Shelbourne scoreless.
Bradshaw — who won the man-of-the-match award against Damien Duff’s side — believes being bottom is not an accurate reflection of the squad’s ability.
He said: “Yeah, 100 per cent. That was our fifth clean sheet at home. You wouldn’t think a team that has five clean sheets at home, that would keep the team that’s top of the league scoreless in your backyard, you wouldn’t think that.
“You wouldn’t think the bottom team would dominate the top side but we’d 12 shots on goal, they’d three.”