The League of Ireland Premier Division campaign has reached the halfway stage with Shamrock Rovers leading the way, six points clear of Drogheda United.
The 2025 campaign has seen a host of players stand out and the quality of the league taken to a new level, and The Deck attempts to select a team of the season using a 3-4-3 formation.
League of Ireland Premier Division Team of The Season
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It is difficult to choose between St. Patrick’s Athletic’s Joseph Anang and Drogheda United’s Luke Dennison, but it is the former that gets the nod here.
The former West Ham United goalkeeper has been called into the Ghana squad for the upcoming internationals and may make his debut next month.
The 25-year-old has kept seven clean sheets, one less than Dennison, but his saves per game metric is higher than the Drogs’ keeper.
Anang is the most accomplished goalkeeper on the ball in the Premier Division, and he tops the charts for accurate passes per game.
He may have been caught out against Shamrock Rovers recently in a heavy defeat, but that error aside, there is no player between the sticks at his level in the Premier Division.
Top Two Lead The Way at The Back
24-year-old Josh Honohan was the feature of a recent article from The Deck after he was the only player in the League of Ireland included in the most recent Ireland international squad.
Honohan has four goal involvements and is a key component of the best defence in the division alongside teammate Roberto Lopes.
No central defender has made more tackles per game than 32-year-old Lopes, and only Cameron Ledwidge can average more accurate passes per 90 than the Hoops’ captain.
Conor Keely has scored four goals, including a match-winning brace at the Brandywell in April, to take his place in the three-man defence.
The 27-year-old has arguably been the best player in the Premier Division and his consistent high-quality displays have ensured the Drogs have maintained their position towards the top of the table.
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Shelbourne star Evan Caffrey and Hoops’ key man Jack Byrne both have a tally of eight goal involvements.
Caffrey has been crucial to Shels staying in touch with the teams in the European spots by providing five assists and topping the champions’ charts for key passes per game.
Byrne is technically one of the best that we have ever seen on these shores and has represented the Ireland at international level.
If he can maintain his fitness, he could be a deciding factor in the title race.
Dawson Devoy has been the most important player in Bohemians’ revival, with no player as effective at finding space in between the opposition’s defensive and midfield lines.
His work rate is just as impressive as his creativity, and it is rare to find a player who operates in the ten role and is as comfortable in and out of possession.
There are a host of players that could have been in this list, but 22-year-old Conan Noonan has starred for Waterford, who defied the odds with a four-match winning run recently.
The Shamrock Rovers loanee has scored two goals and provided four assists. Noonan has been a constant threat, averaging 1.5 key passes and shots per game while his three ball recoveries per game highlight his work-rate as another standout attribute.
Game-Changing Trio Complete Premier Division Team of The Season
Galway United appear to have pulled off a coup in the shape of the signing of 11-times capped New Zealand international Moses Dyer.
The 28-year-old has scored nine goals in 16 matches to sit alone at the top of the scoring charts.
Graham Burke is the best player in the Premier Division when fit and in full flow, and Stephen Bradley has managed his minutes exceptionally to date.
The former Republic of Ireland international has been given a free role at times and tops the league’s charts for goal contributions with ten.
He also leads the charts for shots on target per game, just ahead of Derry City’s Michael Duffy, who is the final player in the Deck’s Team of the Season so far.
It was a difficult start to the season for the Candystripes, but they were kept in the mix by match-winning displays from their star man.
Duffy has scored the winning goal on three occasions, in addition to rescuing a point by scoring from the spot against Galway United in March.
The 30-year-old has seen his form dip in his last couple of outings, but he remains the outlet for Tiernan Lynch’s side, who are sitting in a lofty third position.