Marcus Strods

Marcus Strods was born a Latvian and raised an Irishman. "I was born and raised in Ireland... I am from Rush," he said in an interview with Sportacentrs.com, explaining a footballing upbringing that ran through Rush Athletic and Malahide before he joined the Shelbourne and Dundalk academies. It was at Dundalk that he built his name as a youth player, and during the 2023 EA SPORTS LOI Academy season he scored twice against Shamrock Rovers on the final matchday, with Dundalk finishing runners-up to UCD in the competition.

In January 2024, with his contract at Dundalk's youth system winding down, Strods moved to Bohemians on a free transfer. He made his senior debut for the club on 25 October 2024 against Waterford, and has since grown into a regular starter through the 2025 and 2026 seasons. In the current League of Ireland Premier Division campaign he has scored twice and set up four goals, including back-to-back assists for teammate Patrick Hickey — one of them coming in a draw against Dundalk, the club that developed him.

His international story has followed the same path from youth to senior involvement. Strods represented Latvia at U17 level from March 2023, moved up to the U19s in October 2024, and made his U21 debut against Germany in September 2025, going on to earn several more caps at that level.