Manage a League of Ireland Premier Division club — free in your browser
Pick a League of Ireland Premier Division club and run it for a season: 10 sides, 258 players from 21 nations, all free and all in the browser.
10 clubs · 258 players · average rating 59.0 · average age 25.2. The strongest squad on paper is Shamrock Rovers, and the highest-rated player in the division is R. Lopes (71) of Shamrock Rovers.
Every League of Ireland Premier Division club you can take over
Squad strength is the average rating of a club's best eleven — it shows who starts as favourites, and who you would be taking on as a rebuild.
| Club | Code | Squad | Strength |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shamrock Rovers | SHR | 30 | 65.7 |
| St Patrick's Athletic FC | STB | 25 | 64.3 |
| Derry City | DEB | 25 | 64.1 |
| Bohemian FC | BOF | 26 | 62.7 |
| Shelbourne FC | SHF | 24 | 62.2 |
| Sligo Rovers | SLR | 26 | 60.8 |
| Waterford FC | WAF | 24 | 60.0 |
| Drogheda United | DRU | 27 | 60.0 |
| Dundalk | DUN | 27 | 59.5 |
| Galway United | GAU | 24 | 59.4 |
League of Ireland Premier Division 2026/27: who to manage
- To win straight away: Shamrock Rovers, the strongest best eleven in the division (65.7).
- The deepest squad: Shamrock Rovers, whose players 12 to 18 average 62.1, so injuries and rotation hurt least.
- The long project: Waterford FC, with the youngest top 18 (average age 24.6).
- A mid-table rebuild: Sligo Rovers, right in the middle on paper.
- The survival job: Galway United, the weakest squad (59.4). Staying up is a good season.
The best players in League of Ireland Premier Division
The players you will be building around — or trying to prise away from a rival. Ratings follow EA Sports FC 27. BALLKNW is unofficial and not affiliated with EA Sports.
| Player | Club | Position | Age | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R. Lopes | Shamrock Rovers | Defender | 34 | 71 |
| J. McClean | Derry City | Defender | 37 | 70 |
| M. Duffy | Derry City | Forward | 32 | 70 |
| G. Burke | Shamrock Rovers | Forward | 32 | 68 |
| J. Anang | St Patrick's Athletic FC | Goalkeeper | 26 | 68 |
| D. Devoy | Bohemian FC | Midfielder | 24 | 68 |
| C. McHugh | Sligo Rovers | Midfielder | 33 | 68 |
| J. Byrne | Shamrock Rovers | Midfielder | 30 | 67 |
League of Ireland Premier Division wonderkids worth signing early
The under-21s with the widest gap between what they are now and what they could become. Buy early, or watch a rival do it.
| Player | Club | Age | Now | Potential |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| V. Ozhianvuna | Shamrock Rovers | 17 | 62 | 92 |
| R. Sheridan | St Patrick's Athletic FC | 17 | 54 | 84 |
| M. Noonan | Shamrock Rovers | 18 | 63 | 80 |
| C. Egan | Bohemian FC | 17 | 51 | 78 |
| L. Mulligan | Dundalk | 18 | 52 | 76 |
| N. Razi | Shamrock Rovers | 19 | 61 | 76 |
Where League of Ireland Premier Division players come from
Only 0% of players are from Ireland. With 21 nationalities in the division this is one of the game's genuinely international leagues, and your scouting net can start anywhere.
| Nation | Players | Share of division |
|---|---|---|
| Republic of Ireland | 165 | 64.0% |
| England | 36 | 14.0% |
| Northern Ireland | 15 | 5.8% |
| Scotland | 10 | 3.9% |
| United States | 7 | 2.7% |
What League of Ireland Premier Division is like to manage in
Average age sits at 25.2. Nobody's squad is falling apart with age, and nobody's is waiting three seasons to arrive. It is also one of the tightest divisions in the game: only 6.4 rating points separate the strongest first eleven from the weakest, so promotion and relegation are decided by management rather than budget. Look for the 60 under-21s who have not finished developing — the squads span 21 nations, so the pool is wider than the league's size suggests.
Take the job, read the board's expectations, then build for them: a shape that fits the squad, a window that fixes the gaps, an academy that pays for the next rebuild. It saves to your own browser, so there is nothing to install and no account needed to start.
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Common questions
Can I manage a League of Ireland Premier Division club for free?
Yes. All 10 League of Ireland Premier Division clubs are playable in Gaffa at no cost — there is no download, no paid tier and no account needed to start. Pick a club, set your tactics, work the transfer market and simulate the season in your browser.
Which League of Ireland Premier Division clubs are in the game?
Every club in the division: Shamrock Rovers, St Patrick's Athletic FC, Derry City, Bohemian FC, Shelbourne FC, Sligo Rovers and 4 more. Each carries a full squad, so League of Ireland Premier Division has 258 players in total.
Do I need an account to save my League of Ireland Premier Division season?
Not to start. Your save is written to your own browser and picks up where you left off on the same device. After two days of play you need a free account to start a new season, and it also backs your save up across devices.
Take a League of Ireland Premier Division club to the top
Free, in your browser, nothing to install. Pick your club and start the season.
Take over a club in League of Ireland Premier Division →
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