The Dubliner dreaming of Kidderminster glory

Dubliner Shane Byrne had his career derailed after picking up glandular fever on a pre-season tour to the Southeast Asia with Leicester City ten years ago.

Now he's chasing a piece of play-off glory in the less glamorous, but ferociously competitive environs of non-league English football.

This Sunday, Kidderminster Harriers will travel to Brackley Town in the National League North play-off final, the sixth tier of the game across the water and a division that's notoriously difficult to escape.

The winners will be promoted to the National League [recently won by Ryan Reynolds' and Rob McElhenney's Wrexham], which is one rung below League Two - the promised land for all clubs scrapping in the lower terrain.

Kiddy are one of the bigger names in the league. They slid out of League Two in 2005 and haven't been back since, but the midlands club have a good fanbase and an attractive, 7,000-capacity ground [the Aggbrorough Stadium].

Fifteen months ago they were seconds away from beating West Ham in the fourth round of the FA Cup, Declan Rice's stoppage-time goal forcing extra-time before Jarrod Bowen won it for the Hammers in the 121st minute. They're desperate for more big days and nights and are on the cusp of what would be a significant stride forward in their quest to return to the Football League.

Helping them will be 30-year-old Byrne, the well-travelled ex-Republic of Ireland underage international who has overcome serious setbacks to carve out a career in the game.

Byrne first turned the heads of English scouts as a boy at Crumlin United, moving over to Leicester City in 2008 when he was 15 years old. The Foxes were in League One then, managed by Nigel Pearson. The arrival of billionaire Thai businessman Vichai