Mipo Odubeko on Shels, Haaland lessons and Ireland ambitions

Mipo Odubeko doesn't need to set an alarm on his phone for the mornings.

Damien Duff is his wake-up call, pinging on Erling Haaland clips to be digested over breakfast.

The former Republic of Ireland Under-21 attacker gave Shelbourne fans a glimpse of what he could bring to the table this season with an excellent showing in last Friday's President's Cup win against Drogheda United.

The Reds beat off plenty of competition to sign Odubeko in December after the ex-West Ham man made the decision to come home in a bid to reignite his career.

In Duff, he might just have the perfect mentor - demanding, empathetic, driven.

"He doesn’t stop," said Odubeko. "Ever since I’ve come in he just makes videos of Haaland and all the top players, the movement... it’s mad because it does help you a lot in the games, you see it in the games and you get in the same positions.

"We talk about everything, about football, little stuff like 'did you watch the game tonight, did you see Haaland's run in behind’, little stuff like that, even before I came to the club. It’s almost like 'why is he speaking to me about that?’ but it just shows how much he cares, how much he loves the game.

"I felt the love from him even before I walked in the door, even before I came here, I met up with him in the UK, we sat down and had a chat. He gave me a real proper chat and told me how things are going and how he wants things to go, and how he sees how they can go.

"Ever since I’ve come in, he’s been brilliant with me for the past four weeks. I can feel someone who really wants me to do well and get the best out of me, I’m really to have someone like that to work with at the moment."

Four years ago Odubeko made his first-team debut for West Ham in an FA Cup defeat of