Tim Clancy will make the most of his limited time with James Abankwah having been snubbed trying to sign the new Udinese star.
Abankwah, 18, was the talk of the League of Ireland last month when he landed a shock move to the Serie A club.
Saints have pocketed an up front fee in the region of €400,000 for the teenage centre-back and that could double - at least - over time.
Abankwah, who will play in tonight’s President’s Cup game, has been loaned back to the Inchicore club until the summer, so that he can complete his Leaving Cert exams..
And going into this Shamrock Rovers clash, new St Pat’s boss Clancy revealed he tried to sign Abankwah when he was Drogheda United manager.
Clancy said: “I remember watching James in an Under-19s game at the start of last season.
“I was speaking to Stevie (O’Donnell) and Seán O’Connor and a few at the club at the time, trying to nick him off Pat’s and get him on loan for Drogheda.
“But they said no. He’s very well thought of and working with him before he got to Udinese, you could see there’s a very high ceiling in where James can go.
“Athletically he’s very, very good, and football wise he’s only going to get better. It’s a really interesting one to see how his career develops.
“It’s going to be a pleasure for me to work with him for the next six months and see where he goes on after that.”
And Clancy hailed Abankwah for staying so grounded at St Pat’s since penning his Italian deal which runs until 2026.
“He’s been brilliant, a really good kid,” he continued. “Very well mannered, a kind kid and he’s got a brilliant attitude which bodes well for him in his career.
“He hasn’t changed a single bit and that tells you his mentality as he wants to stay and do the Leaving Cert.
“He has a good head on his shoulders and a good family that will support him. I think that will give him a good chance when he gets over to Italy in the summer.”
While Abankwah is leaving, St Pat’s managed to keep hold of another rising star Darragh Burns.
Hibs were leading the charge for the 19-year-old but had a number of offers slapped down in the January window.
“The club received a couple of offers that were nowhere near the market for the type of player that Darragh is and what he’s capable of doing,” said Clancy.
“Darragh has a lot of improvement to come which is really interesting for us because he was excellent last season but I still think there’s a lot to come.”
And all eyes will be on new goalkeeper Joseph Anang, 21, tonight as he steps up to replace Vitezslav Jaros, having joined on loan from West Ham.
“The Joseph one was on the radar last year for St Pat’s - it was Jaros or Joseph last year and it ended up coming around again this year,” added Clancy.
“You know the old saying, if they’re good enough, they’re old enough and that will continue as there’s a lot of good, young players here who will get a lot of game time.”
St Pat's want to land an early season blow on Shamrock Rovers by clinching silverware in Tallaght tonight.
The curtain-raising President’s Cup is on the line as the league and FAI Cup winners from 2021 face off.
And although the competitive action doesn’t get underway until next week’s league openers, Clancy would love a trophy.
The Saints boss said: “It’s the curtain raiser against the team that everyone has to set targets on and try to catch.
“Rovers won the league in half a season (2020) by 11 points and 16 points last season.
“What Stephen Bradley has built in the last four or five years has shown the patience that Rovers had at the start.
“My job, after Pat’s having a brilliant season last season, is to build on that and get closer, and try and surpass Rovers.”
Clancy added: “We have to work tirelessly to put as much pressure on Rovers and try to get closer to them.”
Meanwhile, Aidomo Emakhu has been tipped to build on the eye-catching promise he showed last season.
The Shamrock Rovers striker, 18, burst onto the scene by scoring a vital European winner off the bench against Albanian side Teuta.
Then 17, it signalled his arrival on the senior stage and Hoops boss Stephen Bradley believes his career will continue on an upward trajectory.
Bradley said: “Himself and young Conan (Nonan) have real potential. He showed glimpses of it last year and hopefully over the next 12 to 18 months you will see a lot more of that.
“He’s working really hard in pre-season, he’s a good kid with a great attitude and if he has that then he has a chance. He’s going to be one that we really like.”
Bradley has also confirmed that Rovers won’t be adding any more new signings to their squad.
Ireland international Jack Byrne has returned to the club from Cyprus, while Rovers swooped for Bohemians right-back Andy Lyons.
But Bradley said: “We are done. We looked at what was there, what we were after and what was available, and we didn’t want much change.
“We feel we are strong and we think Jack and Andy add to that, so we are happy where we are.”
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