Dundalk's star striker Patrick Hoban has disputed the legitimacy of Shamrock Rovers' COVID-shortened League of Ireland win last season.
The Tallaght outfit finished the season unbeaten, winning 15 out of a possible 18 games, with the League of Ireland season halved due to the affects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Due to the fact it was a shortened season, Hoban, speaking to Dundalk's media team, believes that last season was akin to "being top of the table in June" and proclaiming that you won the league.
“You’re telling me that winning the league after 18 games is winning a league? It’s not. It’s like being top of the table in June and saying ‘we won the league’. Come on. Let’s be realistic here.
“Before we went into the games last summer I said it was ridiculous. I could not see myself, if we had won the 18 games last season, celebrating like we had won the league, especially after winning three before that. I just couldn’t do it.
“I saw last year’s league as a chance to win a Champions League spot and we didn’t do that. We finished third, and although we qualified for Europe, it was still disappointing, but this year we have to try and retain what’s ours, which is a 36-game, proper league.”
Hoban's Dundalk side finished well off the pace in third, 22 points off Rovers at the summit. However, Dundalk did gain some measure of revenge when they defeated Rovers 4-2 in the FAI Cup Final in December.
Hoban missed that match, as well as three of Dundalk's Europa League group matches due to an ankle injury which required surgery.
Hoban is expected to be back for the start of the league season, with his side travelling to the Showgrounds to face Liam Buckley's Sligo Rovers side, the team who he suffered the ankle injury against last year.
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