Things are about to come full circle for Shelbourne’s striker Mipo Odubeko this Friday night. Growing up just down the road in Jobstown, young Mipo used to wander over to Tallaght Stadium with his friends hours before kick-off, hoping they’d be allowed to act as ballboys for Shamrock Rovers games. Most times, they got lucky. Back then, he was just a football-mad kid watching his hero Gary Twigg bang in the goals. Now, at 22, he’s stepping onto that same pitch not as a ballboy but as the guy looking to upset the very fans he once stood among. Talisman Mipo Odubeko Ready to Make Impact.
“Me and my mates would get there two or three hours early and just hope they’d let us in as ballboys,” Mipo shared. “Those were my first real football experiences. It’s funny how life works.” He’s been back at Tallaght a few times since, playing for Ireland’s U21s and even training there, and each time felt special. “It’s a place I love going back to.” Talisman Mipo Odubeko Ready to Make Impact.
Odubeko joined Shelbourne over the winter with high expectations and a mission to prove himself. In 11 league games, he’s scored three times two of those coming in his last three outings. And while he could’ve had more, he’s always in the thick of it and isn’t shy about pulling the trigger. After Roddy Collins called him “one of the worst finishers I’ve seen in Irish football,” Shelbourne boss Damien Duff wasn’t having it, calling the remark “really poor.” As for Mipo? He shrugged it off. “I didn’t really pay attention to it. Stuff like that just pushes me to get better.”
He’s got good people in his corner especially Duff. “He’s not just a great coach, he’s a great human,” Mipo said. “He’s probably the first manager to really put his arm around me. His standards for me are high because he knows what I can do.” Mipo also looks up to another Tallaght-born legend, Robbie Keane. “Where I’m from, it was all about Robbie Keane. He came to our school a couple of times. We even played for the same youth club—Crumlin.” Duff uses Keane as a reference in training too. “He’s always shouting ‘The Robbie Keane’ when we’re working on finishing with the side foot. That’s our thing.”
So has Duff helped him improve? “Yeah, 100%,” Mipo said confidently. “He’s made a huge difference.”
Friday’s showdown is shaping up to be a cracker. Shels may have only lost once this season, but six draws have them neck-and-neck with a Shamrock Rovers side looking to bounce back after their collapse against Bohs. Mipo knows what’s at stake and who might be watching. Ireland boss Heimir Hallgrimsson could be in the stands, and Mipo isn’t shy about his ambition. “As long as I’m playing well, scoring goals, and we’re winning, I’d like to think I’ll be in the mix for a senior call-up. It’s in the back of my mind, but not my main focus.”
Rovers will want the win, but so will Mipo and his Shels teammates. “They’re a top team with quality players, but we’re showing what we’re about too. We’re on a good run and I think it’s going to be a great game.”
