Rodney McAree dreams of securing European progression for Dungannon Swifts' ever-growing fanbase
Rodney McAree admits he’d love to finish the job and seal Conference League progression for an ever-growing Dungannon Swifts fanbase when they take on Vaduz at Solitude.
The Swifts enjoyed one of their most memorable results last week as Sean McAllister’s strike from distance secured a 1-0 win in Liechtenstein, marking Dungannon’s first-ever European triumph on the road.
It puts McAree’s men in pole position to book a spot in the Conference League’s third qualifying round where Dutch giants AZ could potentially await – they trail Finnish outfit Ilves 4-3 after the first-leg.
European progression provides a significant financial windfall – Dungannon are projected to have already banked around £450,000 while making it an extra round would see them sitting on roughly £776,000 according to UEFA prize money figures.
Around 200 Swifts supporters made the trip to Liechtenstein last Thursday and McAree is keen to give them another night to remember in Belfast.
"I was lying on top of the bed (last Thursday) and had a little tear because I was watching the supporters down the street and looking at photos,” he told the club’s media channel. “This is Dungannon Swifts - we were in Liechtenstein with over 200 fans.
"A few years ago we were going to Irish League grounds with maybe 20 or 30. What the Spirit of '49 (supporters club) has done is unbelievable.
"To see them there, their jubilation and joy, we made a great trip even better with the result.
"We'd love to finish it off but we know that'll be extremely tough. We will try to keep the fans happy and growing in numbers!"
Another extra special element to Dungannon’s recent success is the number of homegrown stars currently playing a key role in their squad, including the likes of Adam Glenny, who was named in NIFWA’s Team of the Year last season, and goal hero McAllister.
"Stevie Scott, John Scott, Adam Glenny, Cahal McGinty, Tomas Galvin, Sean McAllister, you've so many within the dressing room who have come through the ranks and this means so much to them,” he added. “We understand we're only at the halfway point...we have to enjoy it."