Eoin Doyle has joked about buttering up the in-laws ‘with a big bag of scones’ after putting St Pat’s ahead of Shamrock Rovers.
The striker is back in the League of Ireland after last week sealing a move to the Saints from Bolton Wanderers, where he had been a regular starter up to that point.
It ends a successful decade-long stint in Scotland and England where he was a prolific scorer for a host of clubs.
Doyle previously played here for Sligo Rovers and the Hoops and his wife’s family are big Shamrock Rovers supporters.
“It’s not too bad,” he laughed. “I got a bit of grief off the in-laws. I had to march into the house there yesterday with a big bag of scones as a peace offering. It’s all good!
Doyle revealed he had ‘six or seven’ English clubs interested in signing him were he to leave Bolton and there was also interest from India.
But the 33-year-old was determined to finish out his career in Ireland, where he owns a childcare business in Dublin - LIly’s - with former Sligo Rovers team-mate Danny Ventre.
“Having value on the pitch was important to me, I didn’t want to come back half dead,” he said at his unveiling press conference.
“Once I got the call it quickly sped up and became a reality very quickly. It was just something I jumped at.
“Especially the way the league has gone now, it’s gone from strength to strength, being able to watch it since the streaming service came online.
“All the games have been good and I’ve enjoyed games and can see the difference in the standard since I left.
“It’s very young and energetic and I will have to put up with that.”
And asked if he was sad to be leaving his UK career behind him, Doyle added: “I wouldn’t say sadness, no.
“I played Rotherham in the last league game last week and I had a bit of a moment in the dressing room before the match.
“I would have taken myself into the toilet, just knowing it was the last league game I’d play. I had a great decade or so over here.
“I’ve done it all really: promotions, relegations, bought, sold, left out in the cold, brought in out of nowhere. I’ve experienced it all. It’s been some trip and I’ve really enjoyed it.”
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