Lincoln City player that left Mark Kennedy mind-boggled enjoying European adventure | OneFootball

A certain Lincoln City player has gone on to big things after a now former manager called him out publicly.

A certain Lincoln City player has gone on to big things after a now former manager called him out publicly.

At the end of what turned out to be Mark Kennedy’s final game as Imps head coach, he made pointed comments towards Danny Mandroiu.

The Irishman had got dismissed in the defeat to Burton Albion, his second bout of red mist that season, bringing criticism from his coach.

He was also booked five times across the campaign, before leaving the club at the end of his contract.

Danny Mandroiu’s bad discipline and Lincoln City exit

Kennedy spoke to BBC Radio Lincolnshire after the Burton defeat in 2023, and said: “What’s disappointing for me is that I had multiple conversations with him this week.

“So, for him to get the red card so quickly is mind-boggling for me to understand, but we’re here to educate him and help him and not destroy his talent.”

Mandroiu was lively at times during the 2023/24 season, scoring eight goals and assisting five more as one of the most productive performers of the term. However, his ill-discipline saw a sour taste being left in many a Lincoln mouth, not least that of the then-head coach.

Kennedy, a former Manchester City and Liverpool player, added: “Danny’s future is simple to me. I don’t know where he’ll be in five years. He could be in the Championship or he could be back in Ireland.

“If he changes his mentality and the structure to his game, he’s got incredible talent, he could go wherever he wants to go. But, if he doesn’t change that he’ll just be another statistic.”

That was a particularly cutting comment, phrasing Mandroiu as being at a crossroads with a need for more discipline in his game to advance to a higher level.

Moving onto European success at Shamrock Rovers

The answer soon came to if Mandroiu would end up in the Sky Bet Championship or back on the Emerald Isle, as he made the switch back to Ireland at the end of his stay in Lincoln.

He re-signed for Shamrock Rovers, though that was not the step back that Kennedy seemed to indicate it would be. He has since played twice in UEFA Europa League qualification, before a handful of appearances in the Conference League.

Shamrock won half of their six group stage games, finishing 10th and advancing into the play-off round of the revamped competition. Norwegian outside Molde cut Rovers’ stint in the European tournament short, knocking out Stephen Bradley’s side in a penalty shootout.

Mandroiu may not have hit anywhere near his goalscoring best since leaving Lincoln and returning to his homeland, but he has made a mark on the European stage. That is worth something, and will surely end up being a memorable moment in his career.

In his duo of seasons at the Imps, he managed 25 goal contributions in 65 games, mainly from wide and attacking midfield positions. That has not been a present fixture of his game since leaving Sincil Bank, with his output drying up despite leaving the EFL.