There are a few essentials that every professional footballer cannot do without. A decent kit is useful, and a relatively untarnished pair of football boots can come in handy; but perhaps the most important of all - for health and safety reasons - is a good pair of shin pads.
With this in mind, ahead of the 2018 Airtricity League season, PFA Ireland have kindly gifted the latter to last season's runners-up Dundalk.
Potentially seeing the need to console a Lilywhites side that heartbreakingly lost last year's FAI Cup final to bitter rivals Cork City on penalties, at the end of a discussion with the club's staff, the Irish PFA handed out brand new pairs of GForm shin pads to every player in attendance.