Drogheda United captain Ryan Brennan will retire at the conclusion of the 2026 season, with his final home appearance set to be against Galway United this Friday. The 34-year-old midfielder's career, spanning 17 years and 276 appearances for his hometown club, will end with the upcoming relegation play-off final.

Manager Kevin Doherty paid tribute to the departing skipper. "Since the first day I met Ryan, he's been a pleasure to work with," Doherty said. "He's a fantastic footballer and has been integral to the success we've had over the last five seasons." He also highlighted Brennan's deep local ties, noting the impact of "having a local player in the team, with the connection he has to the club and town and then captaining us over the last two seasons."

A claret and blue legacy

Brennan first broke into the Drogheda first team in 2010 and his family has been synonymous with the club for nearly two decades. His brothers Gavin, Sean and Killian have all worn the claret and blue. His 33 goals across eight seasons included key contributions in cup successes, most notably captaining the side to FAI Cup glory against Derry City in 2024 after helping win the League Cup in 2013.

His final league game at Sullivan and Lambe Park will be against a Galway United side sitting 6th in the Premier Division on 42 points. The Tribesmen travel for this fixture on October 30th, having drawn 0-0 with St Patrick's Athletic in their last outing. Galway's next fixture is away to Dundalk on November 6th. Their recent form shows one win, two draws and two losses from their last five matches.

The final curtain

Drogheda are likely to finish in the relegation play-off position, setting up a final showdown against either UCD or Bray Wanderers. That match will be Brennan's last as a professional. For Galway, the focus is on finishing the campaign strongly. They beat Drogheda 2-1 in the reverse fixture on September 4th, a game in which Brennan played 78 minutes, and will look to close the gap to the top five in their remaining fixtures.

Brennan's retirement marks the end of an era for Drogheda as they fight for survival, while Galway aim to consolidate their mid-table standing. The veteran's last home game promises a poignant occasion at the ground he has called home for 17 years.

The report in full is at LMFM