The IFP List

Hi and welcome back to the pod. Today we are talking about a 19/20 yr old Irish winger from Wexford called Dapo Abidoye.

He started out at Shamrock Rovers FC Enniscorthy, where he worked his way up through the age groups, excelling, scoring and grabbing headlines on the way. At the same time he was also part of the Wexford Youths Talent Development program.

He was also an accomplished track and field athlete with Enniscorthy Athletics Club which obviously added to his overall strengh and condition, training and speed on the football pitch too especially a plus for a winger.

He had 2 spells with Shamrock Rovers academy ie the Dublin side which is the current Irish Premier Division champions, the dominant side in Ireland for the last few years and most successful side in Irish history. He was with the Tallaght side in 2020 & again last yr ie 2023 and has mixed with the cream of Irish youth football and youth internationals there too playing along side the likes of Ike Orazi Reims in France, Naj Razi with Como who are now a Serie A side, Sam Curtis of Sheffield Utd, Justin Ferizaj Frosinone and Zefi with Roma both of which are in Serie A too to name but a few. So he will have seen them do it and will know he should, has and will continue to do it to the same level.

Football also runs in the family with his older brother Raphael also a player.

In March he moved to Norway following a successful trial on a permanent deal to Bergsoy who are in the 4th division 5th tier there. He has hit the ground running like his fellow Irish/Wexford colleagues and has been a main stay in the side from the off, only missing one game through suspension. He has already scored 3 goals for the first team in the league and helped them to 3rd spot 3 points off top spot in the league so far after 5 games so, although early stages in the season, season runs april to november time, they could potentially win the league and get promoted making him along with Shad and Ben cult heros with Bergsoy.

If all continues as it has begun in Norway from him who knows where it can lead to, continue his Bergsoy journey, move up the divisions in Norway with a different club, go to another Scandinavia side, other European leagues, back to UK, obviously Ireland too but money and more eye watering options will be elsewhere. Whatever happens he and his 2 teammates just need to continue as they have started, work hard, focus on their craft and the rest will follow and the near future and options are endless. Excitings times await.

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2nd September moved to Shamrock Rovers Enniscorthy from Bergsoy.  It appears he hasnt turned out for Bergsoy since very end of June so 2 months out.  More then likely an injury has kept him out and he is back with his local side during his recovery and will be back in the Jan window 2025 ie 3.5 months time if not before as a free agent.  

Welcome back to the pod, today we are talking about a 20 year old left back called Tayo Adaramola.

Born in Dublin on the 14th November 2003 he started playing football at around the age of 4 with amatuer side St Mochtas in Dublin 15 and then moved to top youth team St Kevins Boys which is known for producing a conveyor belt of Irish Football Stars with the likes of Liam Brady and Evan Ferguson, to name but a few, coming through their ranks.

In 2014 as an 11 year old he and his family moved to England for the betterment of his football career which says it all really showing real support and backing to him. There he had trials for Charlton Athletic, then joined West Ham development for circa 6 months after which he grabbed the attention of Crystal Palace joining them.

At Crystal Palace he worked his way through the ages groups and signed his first pro contract with them in November 2020. On 5th of Feb 2022 he made his pro debut for Palace in the 4th round of the FA Cup and appeared again for them in the Fifth round too. Since he has been on the fringes of the first team and been on the bench numerous times. Injuries have played there part in he playing time at senior level for Palace but hopefully that is in the past now.

However without any further first team minutes he joined Coventry briefly on loan in the summer of 2022 as an 18 yr old but returned early.

With no further minutes for Palace though, again he was on the fringes and bench, the 20 yr old moved to the Belgian top division with RWD Molenbeek on 23rd of Jan 24 just gone until the end of the season. Molenbeek are also part of the multi worldwide group of clubs owned by Palace owner John Textor. The move isnt an unchartered path, as Jake O'Brien now starring for Lyon, was there last season on loan from Cyrstal Palace too, and helped Molenbeek get promoted. Now its Adaramolas turn with Molenbeek and he is following suit by getting essential game time and even at a higher level as they now play as said in the top division. Hes started and played in all 6 games since his arrival so it couldnt have gone any better for him to date even though the team themselves arent having a good run.

Internationally he has represented at U17s, U19s & U21s and is part of a golden age of young Irish talent coming through together at all age groups/levels at the moment. He also qualifies for Nigeria through parentage. He'd also qualify for England through residence but hopefully he sticks with Ireland as he is definitely a senior international in the very near future.

What his next move will be is up to him really, and if he continues to do well in the Belgian top division id imagine he will want to go back to Crystal Palace first team as doubt he will want to go back to being happy being a fringe player with them now hes a full bleed first team player. Perhaps he could follow Jake O Brien in going to France with Lyon who are also part of Textors multi club portfolio or another league or team in or outside of Textors group. No matter what he will have plenty of options and with such a supportive family and team behind him it will no doubt be the best move for him and well thought out.

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30th June 2024 returned to Palace from loan in belgium where his belgium team RWD Molenbeek got relegated to the 2nd tier of the belgium pyramid.  For himself however he made 14 appearances for them in the Belgian top tier playing in all bar 1 game since he moved there in Jan 24, only missed that one game as he picked up a knock so a great first season in earnest allbeit just half a season in first team pro football in a top european league.  

This season he went on loan to Stockport who are in League One ie the 3rd tier in England after his return to parent club CP.  Unfortunately he picked up an injury in preseason which has ruled him out as of yet but fact he is still there and not just returned to CP suggests he will be back soon and from there hopefully he gets week in week out first team football in England and then who knows where he goes next season with CP co owner Textor due to buy Everton perhaps alternative competition for his services or also perhaps Lyon who are part of Textors group of clubs presently another alternative.  All he needs to do as of now is comeback from Injury and have a strong season and the rest will fall into place.

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Update 3rd of February 2025

Season long loan with Stockport cut short in Jan 2025 after making just 6 appearances for them and he signed with 4th tier ie moving down from 3rd tier to 4th tier now with Bradford City on loan until end of season.  Youd imagine this is due to the fact that he wasnt getting enough game time at Stockport and although he will most probably be disappointed by it not working out at Stockport and also moving down a tier, its the smart move by his club CP and best move for him personally to get week in week out football and then he can kick on next season with that being a loan further up the pyramid in England, or a loan abroad, getting back in with the CP first team and real involvement and minutes with the first team going forward or a permanent move elsewhere where again he is going to get first team week in week out football.  Has had a few set backs now with injuries but at 21 he will have lots of options and the time is now with a long career ahead where he most definitely will excel.  Just needs to get the opportunities now and the essential week in week out football on the field now initially at Bradford.

Hi and welcome back. Today we are talking about a 21 yr old Irish left back called Val Adedokun. Born in Dublin on the 14th of Feb 2003 he started his career off with amatuer side River Valley Rangers from Swords in Dublin who he joined in 2007 as a 4 yr old staying until 2014 when as an 11 yr old he joined amatuer side Malahide Utd. While at Rivervalley Rangers & Malahide he played predominantly as a winger on left but can also play on the right.

He stayed with Malahide Utd until 2017 when as a 14 yr old he made the move to LOI premier division side Dundalk with their academy. To those outside of Ireland just to give you a bit of perspective, at the time Dundalk were 100% the top side in Ireland, winning the league regularly 5 times between 2014 & 2019, and only missing out in 2017 when they finished 2nd and were riding high in Europe as well from an Irish point of view in the Europa league so it most definitely was the place to be and a real compliment and sign of how good he was to be sought after and signed up by them. He stayed with them from 2017 until 2021, working his way through their academy until in Jan 2020 as a still only 16 yr old signed a pro contract with them, he made his pro debut with them later that season on the 27th of September 2020 as a now 17 yr old against Shamrock Rovers. He went on to represent Dundalk 9 times in all and also with a lot of involvement with the first team and a regular with them and on the bench throughout. During his debut with Dundalk he transitioned to left back. In January 2021 he signed a new 2 year deal with Dundalk which shows the faith the club had in him as a lot of time in Ireland this wouldnt necessarily be the case and long term contracts wouldnt be a guarantee.

Later that same year/season ie the irish 2021 season, the then still only 18 yr old signed a 3 year deal with English Premier League side Brentford for an undisclosed fee from Dundalk with the contract expirying as it stands on the 30th of June 2026 at time of recording but theres an option for a further year. To date he has had a lot of game time with the talented Brentford B, who he has also captained and in the 23/24 season was the Player of the year and is highly thought of there so all going according to plan. In Feb this year 2024 he signed an improved deal again expirying June 2026.

On the 23rd of September this year 2024 he made the exciting move to the Hungarian top division club Diosgyori VRT on a season long loan move, DVRT currently sit 3rd in the table which is why he is on our list and pod. The loan was ended at the end of december ie just ended. He would have probably liked to play more only turning out 3 times with 2 appearances on the bench in addition to that all in a 5 match period and not appearing at all again from the 10/11/24. The fact he was involved conseecutively for 5 matches in a row and then not at all there after would perhaps imply there was an injury but thats just me guessing and dont know for definite. Either way the minutes, involvement and experience he would have had there over the last few months will only stand to him though he himself may not think so and will no doubt be disappointed, it will 100% push him forward in his career and closer to his end goal. If he is still nursing an injury youd imagine he will be back at Brentford and stay there, however if he has recovered now or in the near future with the taste of first team football fresh in his mindset he would be eager to perhaps go back out on loan however if he isnt as match fit for whatever reason or is returning from injury id presume the club will want to keep him in house to get him firing on all cylinders for the remainder of the season before letting him go out again. If he was match fit or not far off and completely injury free and available for another loan there will be options to him and again perhaps staying with Brentford B for a couple of months and then back on loan to his old club Dundalk who are now in the 2nd tier in ireland or an Irish Premier Division/top tier side where the season will be starting this coming february may be a good and beneficial option to all parties but wherever he goes youd imagine it would be only of interest and merit to both him and Brentford if he was going to be playing first team football week in week out now. Again whether that be in the UK, mainland Europe or Ireland he will have options if they are looking to go down that route.

Internationally he has represented Ireland at youth level U15s and U19s, so has been in the Irish set up since 2018 and on the radar since circa 2015 so from a very early age hes impressed both at club and international level and mixed with a very talented bunch like himself too throughout. To note he is also eligible for Nigeria through parentage so again on the international front he will have options but to play for either he will need to be playing first team football on a regular basis when that comes but at still only 21/22 in a couple of months so time is very much on his side and he just needs to continue to do what he is doing on and off the pitch, focus on that everything else will play out as a result however he chooses when the time comes.

At only 21 he has already played in 3 different countries, with clubs in 3 top divisions in europe one of which just so happens to be one of the best leagues in the world though he has yet to make his senior debut with Brentford he has been involved with their first team and made their bench numerous times so all is very much on course to date. He has also played European football with Dundalk, International football with Ireland at youth level so the CV and experience is impressive. All he needs now is more first team football, stay injury free and when the time is right get the opportunity back in England when the opportunity unfolds or elsewhere should he so choose.

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Signed with Cheltenham Town FC on the 08th of Jan 25 and went on to make his debut with them in the first game since signing a 2-1 win in the Football League Trophy 3rd round on the 14th of Jan coming on as a sub in the 16th minute and playing 74 mins. 

Today we are talking about an 18 yr old Irish defender Derin Adewale. One off the continuous conveyor belt of top irish talent produced from St Kevins Boys, he moved to Bohs at youth level. At Bohs he was highly thought of, a regular for their u19s and made his senior debut for the first team on the 6th of November 2022 in the league, making 3 appearances for the first team in total 2 in Leinster Senior cup and the 1 in the league.

On 1st of September ie last month he joined Serie A team Lecce from Bohs for an undisclosed fee. As an 18 yr old he could of moved to England where there would have no doubt been interest/offers however he moved to Italy so was obviously what he saw as his best road/opportunity to first team football. Lecce is home to fellow Irish player Ed McJannet and their youth side won the Primavera 1 youth league side so he is basically joining the top youth side in Italy above the likes of Juventus, Milan sides and all top Italian teams, so its a very talented side and would therefore appear a good move for him and his career. The Lecce first team squad does have internationals from various nations, no italian internationals just to note, its a young enough squad and there are players who came from the academy in it too though probably no more then at most clubs, however due to the current success in their youth ranks youd imagine the number of youth players coming through into the first team will increase over the next couple of seasons which is good news for Derin which no doubt factored into his decision to move to Lecce.

Internationally he qualifies for Ireland and Nigeria but amazingly doesnt appear to have played as of yet for either at any youth level, expect this to change in the very near future if my research is correct. If I was Ireland id get him on the books asap.

He seems like an intelligent player, who smartly stayed in Ireland until turning 18 which opened the UK route to him, also it would appear he stayed to complete his Leaving Cert which for anyone outside of Ireland is the final exam before leaving school, and it was noted he did well in same. He, along with his family and team appear to be making smart decisions along the way and youd imagine this will continue with great choices and steps along the way guiding him to top level first team football and moves and hopefully turning out for the Irish Senior team to boot. Exciting times lay ahead for the player and as always whatever happens we'll be watching.

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Update as of 18/01/24

Appears to have left Lecce on 20th of December 2023, no news as of yet on his next destination, we ll be watching.  

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Update  24/03/24

Signed for Irish Premier Division side Shelbourne on 1st of Jan 2024 which wasnt known at the time on the internet.  Shelbourne managed by Damien Duff.

Welcome back to the pod today we are talking about a 24 yr old forward called Jonathan Afolabi. Born the 14th of Jan 2000 in Tallaght, Dublin, he started playing with local side Marks Celtic at circa 6, moving on to Shamrock Rovers, then Lourdes Celtic and then St Josephs Boys. To those outside of Ireland to have that as your youth development is an extensive youth career. Lourdes Celtic has had Niall Quinn and Damien Duff through their ranks, Shamrock Rovers is the most successful team in Irish Footballing history and current champions, and St Josephs Boys are a also a whos who of former and current Irish Internationals who learned their skill there so to say he mixed with the cream of the crop in his youth career in Ireland is fact.

All this pedigree accumulated in a move in 2016 to Premier League side Southampton and their academy aged only 16. There he excelled through the youth ranks, was highly thought of and was offered a new contract in 2019 but made the decision to move elsewhere to get first team football sooner rather then later. Obviously there would have perhaps been better financial packages on offer elsewhere too but his main focus wasnt money but on getting first team week in week out football sooner rather then later. He had other offers in England with Premiership sides, Championship sides etc but ultimately was won over by Scottish side Celtic on the 21st of August 2019 as a now 19 year old and signed on a 3 year deal.

Theres the Celtic Irish connection but imo theres just too much made of that that wins over irish players and with that the competition there makes it harder for a young player with no box office name yet established to get a fair chance at breaking into the team though Jonathan clearly would have had the talent to do it, a big name at youth level and been confident of breaking into the side and establishing himself right off the bat.

This didnt happen straight away and on the 27th of Jan 2020 the just gone 20 yr old went on loan to Dunfermline Athletic in the Scottish Championship ie 2nd tier there until the end of the season, making his first senior pro debut anywhere 4 days later which would have been a big moment for him and it wasnt a token or late substitution, he started the game, playing 87 mins and contributed with an assist in a 3 2 win over Queen of the South so basically as good a start to your pro career as you could hope for at again only 20. He went on to appear 5 more times for Dunfermline ie 6 in total but this isnt what it seems, he played the first 6 games for Dunfermline after he signed for them and then the season was cancelled or postponed or whatever you want to call it because of Covid which was just starting. Obviously impacted life in general but from a purely footballing point of view and him personally it couldnt have hit at a worse time, as he was just starting his pro career and started well, starting his first 6 games with a lot of minutes in all those games, and 2 goals to boot. If it had have continued as impressively as it started at Dunfermline and the season wasnt cancelled, who knows where he would have been in August 2021 perhaps in the first team proper at Celtic who knows but as it was he had to sit out competitive football for the next 6 months through no fault of his own, yes the same for everyone else but for a player just starting out and starting out so well it would have been a blow in more ways then one to his development and progression 100%.

Anyways it did happen and thats that. So on 29th September 2020 he goes on loan again this time to Dundee who were at the time also in the Scottish Championship but historically maybe arguably a bigger side then Dunfermline. Makes his debut for them on 16th October ie 2.5 weeks after joining so probably match fitness was an issue when he joined which is completely understandable due to series of events in the previous months. He went on to appear quite regularly for them circa 22 times in total with 4 goals in all competitions, they did have a successful season winning promotion back to the top tier of scottish football but he wasnt a starter and probably would have liked more minutes then he got and more starts but still not bad at all for a now still only 21 yr old who was clearly only to get better and better especially with a full season now behind him.

In the final year/season of his 3 yr Celtic contract he went on loan 2 more times. To Scottish Championship side Ayr United initially until the end of the 21/22 season whom he made 16 appearances, 1 goal and 1 assist but this was cut short in Feb 22, and then he joined Scottish League One ie 3rd tier side Airdrieonians whom he turned out 15 times 3 goals & 2 assists for the remainer of the season and the remainder of his Celtic contract. Obviously im sure on loan in the 3rd tier of scottish football and soon to be released wasnt where he imagined himself being when he left Southampton but via a series of set of circumstances etc out of his control was where it left him through no real fault of his own just basically the luck of the gods and life meant things didnt turn out and if Covid hadnt of ended his first season in the pro game prematurely he could have been in a a completely different scenario at that stage.

After leaving Celtic he made the surprising move, surprising from a fan point of view as from a fan point of view it was somewhat of a coup, to Bohemians on the 5th of August 2022. Like you'd imagine he would have had options elsewhere outside of Ireland and also even in Ireland the likes of Shamrock Rovers no doubt whom he played for before at youth level but to Bohs he went. Again to anyone outside of Ireland the season in Ireland runs in the calendar year so joining in August is the end period of the 2022 season ie circa 3 months left in the 22 season. Sometimes big names coming back to ireland dont pan out as well as you might have thought when you heard initially, like they do well but just not exceptionally well but his move to Bohs couldnt have gone better in the entirity of his time with Bohs, 44 appearances, 21 goals, 6 assists, top goal scorer in the 2023 season and an Irish Senior International call up as a result. With those kind of stats it would have always been hard to see him staying longer with Bohs or even the LOI as at 24 the race was on for his signature. I always think its very hard for a striker/forward if he isnt playing and starting week in week out as a lot of the time its goals that they are ultimately judged on and its hard to get those stats up if your just coming on for the last 20 30 minutes or less and then the stats are shewed and people say yeah hes played 10 games but only scored once like how many minutes has a player played in those ten games. But anyways he got the best spell of his career at bohs playing time wise and showed his goal prowess as a result.

After the entire full 23 season behind him, playing week in week out, starting, scoring he made the move to Belgium on the 29th of December 2023 to Kortrijk who were bottom at the time of joining on a basically 2.5 year deal making his debut circa 3 weeks later. In the remainder of their season he made 13 appearances in all scoring 1 goal again this is reflective in the minutes he got on the pitch as he only appears to have started 4 of the 13 games and the rest were only circa 20 minutes or less pitch time so just cameos not enough to show your real worth and also with each passing game youd imagine the confidence understandably was talking a knock. To mention his first start was where he scored his only goal but then had to wait over another month for his next start. With more starts and minutes youd imagine there would have been more goals as he would have been super confident joining them and in the prime of his craft following the 2023 season with Bohs. Kortrijk were in a relegation battle right up until the end of the season which probably explains their reluctance to try new things as their main focus would have been to stay in the Belgium top flight so I get it but perhaps if they had have got him in the team sooner and also started him off the bat perhaps the goals would have come early doors and helped their cause but by leaving him 3 weeks until giving him game time and the reduced match time that no doubt would have stunted his confidence and progress on the pitch and also his match fitness but im sure they decided and did what they felt was best for their club and ultimately they stayed up so perhaps they chose right just not how I would have done it. If something wasnt working already ie the results werent coming, id of tried something different like you know what isnt working so perhaps dont continue to do that and put on a proven and in form goal scorer straight away from signing him and start him too straight away, to see if the goals come which is the whole reason you bought him cause you saw the goal machine he was at his last club and as a result if the goals did come they would help steer the team out of trouble and if after 3 or 4 games it didnt happen straight away with circa 4 months left revert back to the existing plan but again who am i. This season they as said remain in the top flight, hes listed as having a knock and hasnt appeared as of yet for the club who are again at the wrong end of the table 13th out of 16 but a long way to go as only 6 games in so far.

Will he stay or go is the question however or should I say was the question, there was interest in him from the UK, an official offer from Turkish side Sivasspor about a month ago with the transfer window still open there until the 13th of Sept. However he has decided to go on loan to Cambuur who play in the Dutch 2nd Tier. At the moment they are 17th out of 20 teams there but with only 4 games gone so that could easily change and sooner rather then later as they are on 3 points in 17th and top team in division is only on 8 so only 5 points in it and again very early stages. He signed yesterday the 2nd of Sept and their next game isnt until the 13th of September so he has time to settle in and make the starting line up. Clearly imo they should play him off the bat as they are in at the wrong end of the table and clearly what they have done so far hasnt worked, so should 100% try something new if what youve already tried hasnt worked thus far. Joanathan has proven his pedigree and goal scoring ability so if they want to get the best out of it for themselves and the player starting him and giving him a sustained period of first team football week in week out is again imo the best approach and after circa 10 games see if the goal return is as expected. Playing 20 to 30 minutes a game isnt going to work for either party and they can always revert to what they are already trying if after circa 10 full games doesnt translate in the desired goal return but my guess is if you play him as said he will score and then everybody wins. Will be watching on the 13th and hopefully as said he starts and plays the whole game. Exciting times ly ahead for him, the club and Irish fans alike.

Welcome back today we are talking about an Irish U15 International midfielder called Aydin Aliyev. Born in dublin, Ireland he was at Dublin side St Josephs since circa 2016/17 joining as a 7 year old, moving through the age groups. To those outside of Ireland St Josephs Boys is one of Irelands top youth sides and most recently has had the likes of Andrew Moran & Jonathan Afolabi through their ranks so he is clearly in good company and to be at St Josephs means your the creme de le creme of your age so hes been seen as a future top prospect/talent since an early age.

He left St Josephs in 2022 when he was in their u13 and along with his family relocated to Germany where he continued his football career signing for German 2nd tier side SPVGG Greuther Furth in their academy. Greuther Furth were most recently in the Bundesliga German top tier just a couple of years ago in the 21/22 season but in the past 25 years at least have been predominantly a 2nd tier side with just 2 seasons in isolation being in the Bundesliga and both times were relegated at the end of those seasons. Currently sit in 12 out of 18 teams but just 8 points off top spot by time of recording after 16 games. Their logo/team crest is very Irish looking as its a green Shamrock and strip is like celtic but it appears this is just coincidence, theres a few suggested reasons for the shamrock though none seem to be conclusive but either way none are linked with Celtic or Ireland either way. Their second team plays in the German 4th tier so thats an option open to Aydin in the coming years before breaking into the first team, at the moment hes very young as said so dont need to worry about that. On breaking into the first team as said there is a route to first team football with their reserve team in 4th tier and then into the first team so in theory a youth player can go right to the very top within the same club structure at one of the best leagues in the world or just off the top level if they were still in the 2nd Tier by the time Aydin would be breaking through.

Internationally this year 2024 was his break out year for Ireland where he featured for Ireland at U15s level culminating with a goal against Portugal just last month. To note he is also the only player in the current Ireland U15s which isnt based at a LOI club. Great to see him representing Ireland as im sure he has options, i think his heritage is from Azerbaijan so thats an option to him and he did train with their youth team back in 2022 so they are also aware of him and no doubt keeping tabs on him too. Also hes been in Germany for almost 2 years now so im sure the German FA have also been keeping tabs on him via residency and trying to get him involved in their youth set up too if not now in the near future when hes eligible. In general its a tricky one for Ireland to keep talented Irish players involved who may have options internationally elsewhere throughout the youth set up but even more so until the Senior Irish side where it was already a task in itself when we were just dealing with defections to England at Senior level but in the coming years there will be even more competition with multiples of alternative national teams open to players and although the player will have a place he sees as his country when it comes down to it if your country, in this case Ireland, isnt a big nation and isnt qualifying for International tournaments and youve got alternatives, you cant blame anyone for assessing your options and again in this case being tempted away from Ireland as if your lucky you only have 4 world cups and 4 continental tournaments in a 16 year career as said if your lucky and in irelands case we havent qualified for a world cup in 22 years and euros in 2016, 3 world cups & 3 euros in our history. However in Aydins case he appears fully committed and I dont want to come across negative on Irelands qualifying prospects but would if a Germany came into the equation like England currently comes into the equation for others its understandable how a players head can be turned as you not only get the opportunity to play on the highest stage arguably but also arguably it can in turn increase your exposure, and monetary value from a playing on those type of stages and the expore that comes with it which only makes professional and business sense too so you can see the appeal. A long way to go yet for Aydin but he hasnt put a foot wrong as of yet and has done everything he has needed to do to this stage and progressed and developed throughout. Whether by destiny or design he has done great to date and has as good a CV as any Irish youth with a top Irish youth club, a German club with a clear route through to the first team in the future at potentially the highest level when he breaks into it and also International football with Ireland U15s and no doubt move through the age groups thereafter. So everything is going perfect for him and all he needs to do is stay focused on his craft on the field and continuing his progression at club and international level and hopefully it will all go according to plan for him now and in the coming years.

Hi and welcome back to the pod. Today we are talking about a 21 year old goalkeeper called Sam Blair born 27/12/2002.

He grew in England and started playing locally for Aylsham before being scouted and joining Norwich City FC where he played his way up through the levels. In January 2020 as a 17 year old he signed pro terms with Norwich. Norwich have a good record of goalkeeping so a great place to learn your craft.

In August 2021 he went out on loan to get first team football with Non League side Bury Town FC for the 21/22 season making circa 30 appearances. He followed this up with 2 other non league loans, an emergency loan at Wroxham and then Kings Lynn Town FC both in the 22/23 season. Unfortunately he was released by Norwich in July 2023.

Clearly a difficult time for a player but it is part of football that most will encounter at some stage of their career but appreciate this is much easier said then to experience but bouce back he did.

He remained without a club until last month when on the 21st of Feb 24, he made a move to an unusual destination in Iceland, signing for top Icelandic side KR Reykjavik. Whether this was by destiny or design, its a good idea to get out of your comfort zone and start fresh in a new league as there will be no distractions and you can focus on honing your skills on the field. Reykjavik is obviously the capital of Iceland and also historically the most successful, last won league in 2019, and oldest side in Iceland, so its a great place to be for a young keeper to land. The manager is a 36 yr old English guy called Gregg Ryder who has lots of experience in Iceland and Scandanavia in general and only appointed at start of January so fact he brought Sam in shows belief and also will be good for Sam to have that type of manager behind him and as a mentor to help guide him for as long as they work together. The Icelandic season, similar to Ireland, goes through the summer in their case April to Sept/Oct time, which is great for a player as in they will finish just before the January window. Dont know what kind of contract he is on but if a season long deal it puts him in a great spot ie if he plays well there will be a new deal on the table for the next season but also if he has impressed other suiters elsewhere he could also move without restrictions with a bit of a rest in November time or if on a longer contract youd imagine a small enough transfer fee in January 25 ie less then a years time.

Internationally he was part of the very talented Ireland at U21 side in 2021 on numerous occasions as an only 18 yr old. He is also eligible for England too through birth. At the moment Senior international football isnt an option for either but get a few good season into you and anything is possible but for now he will be focusing on his club career and continuing to gain that vital first team experience.

It is also worth to note that while Icelandic and English Non League first team football is a long way off International football this is not an unheard of route that young players start off in ie loans from their parent clubs to much lower levels for example and end up going the whole way through to the top tier of club and international football. Irish number 1 Bazunu and English number 1 Pickford are both examples of this. They also went on loan at much lower levels in the earlier parts of their career from their then parent clubs. Like Blair, Pickford also had loans in non league football. So fact he has the first team experiences hes had will stand to him and also he is only 21 which is very young for a goalkeeper who tend to have much longer careers and also tend to peak a few years later so he is on course and having a good season in the Icelandic top division with one of their top sides is another good step in the right direction. Have a good season or 2 as a number 1 week in week out and hes only 22/23 and puts him in a great position. Also again he has now burst the bubble of just restricting himself to UK football so the world is full of options and opportunities. Great move and great to see he is pushing forward with what will no doubt be a successful career. The experience and lessons already in the bag which will only stand to him and his career.

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end of August beginning of Ytterhogdals IK in Swedish 4th Tier until end of season which is mid October ie just over a month loan.  In moving to Ytterhogdals he joins the ever increasing wave of Irish already there which will make it a home from home.  Always hard for a keeper to play week in week out if there is serious competition for the number 1 jersey as there is only 1 spot unlike every other position on the team of course and as this opportunity didnt materialise in Iceland with KR Reykjavik as of yet he has now moved to Sweden which no doubt he wouldnt have done if he was not supremely confident.

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Update as of 11/02/25

After a further loan spell at English 7th tier side Lowestoft Town FC until Jan just gone he ended up leaving parent side KR Reykjavik on 16th of Jan 25 and is now a free agent.  While the scenario isnt ideal for him and he will have hoped to play more football in the past year at least he is free and easy to make his next move however suits him best.  Hes only 22 just gone in december and as we know thats very young for a keeper.  Whether he decides to go to lower tiers in England, or move somewhere else in UK or perhaps Ireland, or another exciting move abroad will be interesting to see but while again he will most likely be disappointed to a degree, he will have learnt alot so far in his career now and in the last year and will regroup and go again with a focus surely being on first team football with his next move which is always difficult for a keeper as always hard when theres only one spot up for grabs which is why he will be looking to go somewhere he will be the established no 1 next and then move back up the leagues where he belongs in the long run.

Hi and welcome back. Today we are talking about a 20 year old winger from Coolock in Dublin called Rio Bradley. He started off at a young age playing with St Pauls Artane in Dublin. When he was 9 he and his family emigrated to Calgary in Canada. There he played for Calgary Foothills, High School side Bishop O'Byrne Bobcats & Vaughan SC. Calgary Foothills have had a fair few Internationals both at Senior and Youth level through their ranks over the years so he was mixing in good company and playing at a high standard outfit which is a similar scenario to Vaughan SC which I believe are also know as Vaughan Azzurri.

The competitive sporting background is in the family with a family connection to motorbike racing (isle of man etc.) and also Gaa/hurling at a high level which are the native and number 1 sports in Ireland to anyone outside of ireland. Rio himself is also a Thai Boxer which he has done his whole life since the age of 4 but shows his dedication to his football career that he has currently put Muay Thai on hold to avoid injuries and fully focus on his profession.

This is even more of a sacrifice then you think as he has just signed pro terms with Thai 3rd tier side VRN Muangnont FC on the 25th of Dec just gone ie 2024. Muangnont are currently 8th in their region. On the field Thailand is considered by many as the top league in South East Asia and destination of choice for foreign players as a result and outside of football Thailand is a great destination regardless with its weather, people and cost of living to name but a few reasons, so on and off the field its a great spot to start your career as opposed to the cold winters we have in this part of the world or also in Canada. Rio wasnt the only Irish player of course in Thailand either when he signed as Clyde O'Connell, see link to previous video on him, was there but he left a few days later and has since moved to the top tier in Bahrain, the Gulf leagues are of course future options for Rio too especially with the great financial packages being offered and a Clyde's footballing journey is a great blueprint for others too. Rio's own contract with Muangnont is until the end of the season and short term contracts are the norm in Thailand which to a player in Rios stage of his career is a perfect scenario as he is not tied down and also will want to impress straight off the bat, hit the ground running, move up the leagues and competitions and his end goal is to get to the highest level in football which from his point of view he is in a great spot as he can litterally go anywhere should the opportunity arise youd imagine obviously a lot of Irish players would go the Irish then UK route but Rio could have come back to Ireland to do that or hung on in Canada and gone the college/mls route common routes but with football being a world sport you are not doing yourself justice to just restrict yourself to specific routes and in Rio's case he has already shown at this early stage that he is willing to think outside the box with a smart plan of developing and moving through the ranks in the pro game in a way that suits him and his career. Again MLS, League of Ireland, UK football will all be avenues he will know of but now has opened up the Asian market to himself too and with great financial options open to players in more and more leagues around the world then ever before, thinking outside the box is 100% the right state of mind and place to be while continually improving and honing your craft and first team experience on the field. You could grind it out and work your way up through the leagues in Ireland and UK for example and perhaps struggle with to get game time and seeing your pay swallowed up by the cost of living over this side of the world in the cold dark winter which can seem like a hard long road as opposed to the great weather and experiences you can have elsewhere so i can definitely see the appeal to the route he has currently chosen. So far he has played 4-5 friendlies, aclimatizing himself with the weather, place and showing his dedication and respect he has for his new club, fans and culture by also learning the language right off the bat. The first competitive match is on January 18th, so will have already happened by the time this has been released. The second leg of the season starts up again on the 18th gone but we recorded this episode on the 17th so goodluck Rio and hope the debut went well. Where he goes from here is all down to him and on the pitch where he no doubt will shine, he certainly has showen the determination, bravery, skill and intelligence both on and off the field so the skys the limit.

Today we are talking about 17 year old forward Killian Cailloce. Born in Dublin, growing up in Balbriggan I believe, he played at underage level for Drogheda United, joining them in 2020. He made his senior debut for Drogheda United on 11th march 22, last year, as a 16 year old substitue in a 3 nil home loss in Drogheda to Sligo Rovers, Irish Premier League (Irish Top Division)? This made him the youngest ever player for Drogheda United at senior level. Although that was his only first team appearance he was a regular on the bench and more appearances were to come youd imagine had he not moved 3 months later in June 22 when he went to the academy of French side Caen in the French 2nd Division again as only a 16 year old. Football is in the family too as his younger brother, Luca, whos 15 is in the youth set up with Bohemians.

At Caen he has played thus far at youth level and there B team as well who play in the 5th Division, no senior appearance for the first team yet but again he is only 17. Perhaps he would have got more exposure to first team football now if he had of stayed at Drogheda but still if he was to break into the Caen first team in the next year or 2 you would have to say it would justify the move and I am sure that will be the case. Also being in the French league system opens him up to being spotted by a higher up French team or elsewhere in Europe if/when the break through comes. Caen are currently 7th in French Ligue 2 so could perhaps get promoted depending how season pans out and if so if next year or year after they were in Ligue 1 ie top division in France this could align perfectly with his career projection at the 18/19 age mark and as such be breaking into a top European league & side at that stage.

Internationally he can represent Ireland of course but also France as his father is French which youd imagine if both came calling at the same time hat decision may be a difficult one. Obviously he is born and bred in Ireland, but has his dads connection to France and is now based and playing his football there and France are one if not the best teams in the world at present who would be a shoe to qualify and compete for all top international competitions which would make it a very difficult decision indeed. At senior level that decision and dilemma is yet to be a problem for the player & his team as he will need to be getting first team football for Caen to be in consideration for Ireland and would need to be getting week in week out football in Ligue 1 to be in consideration for the French International so neither scenario applies as of yet but the words as of yet most definitely apply. More pressing is whether he will turn out for Ireland or France at youth level in the near future, youd imagine Ireland could potentially keep him more firmly in their grip if they bring him into the fold now and progress him through the age groups which youd hope would cement his preference to the Boys in Green at senior level when the time comes.

As an only 17 year old it has already been an exciting start to his career where he has already got first team fooball in 2 different countries ie Irish Premier Division & French 5th tier. He hasnt put a foot wrong and all is going exceptionally well and to plan and whatever happens, we'll be watching.

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Updated as of 18/01/24 

moved on a permanent basis for the 2024 season from Caen to Drogheda Utd in Irish Top Division on 5th of Jan 24

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Update 11/02/25

After his first season proper in first team football with Drogheda, he had a good amount of involvement for an only 18 year old making a total of 20 appearances in all competitions and 1 goal in Irelands top tier which at that age is a great achievement.  Drogheda had a mixed season but a great last week of the season where they in 2 games won the cup and staved off relegation via playoff.  Killian would have only had more involvement if he had stay youd imagine but the just turned now 19 year has moved to UCD on the 20th of Jan 25 who are currently in the Irish First Division the 2nd tier in Ireland with the season kicking of just now.  To those who are outside of Ireland and wondering why he would go down a tier when he played a key role last season with Drogheda is because although youd imagine he would have been even more involved this season had he stayed, UCD offer a chance at week in week out football to the young forward but more enticing its a unique situation as its a college here in Ireland so he can still play at a high level with a lot of first team football but also gain a university degree at the same time so an opportunity a lot of young players in Ireland are won over by.  Of course if someone abroad comes in for him he could put his college university studies on hold and come back if an opportunity or money offer too good to turn down props up in the meantime so its a win win situation for him personally at that age.  

Imagine playing for your local GAA club and 4 years later being teammates with the best football/soccer player in the world and current world cup champion Lionel Messi. Well thats the reality for todays player we will be talking about 22 yr old Ryan Carmichael who just 4 years ago was playing for his school GAA side St Patricks and also Madden Raparees.

Born 3rd of August 2001 in Armagh, he played with his local football/soccer side Loughgall who are a 3rd division side in Northern Ireland league pyramid, in their youth set up until the end of 2017. In 2018 he moved to Northern Ireland 2nd Division side Portadown as a 16 year old initially in their Youths but made his senior debut the same year and by the time he left in 2020 had amassed in the region of 63 senior appearances with 8 goals in all competitions which in itself is very impressing seeing as he was only 18 years of age when he left.

He could have obviously made the step up at that stage to the top tier of Northern Ireland football and would most likely had good options there, in England, Scotland or further a field to continue with his professional senior first team football career but chose to move to the US to play college football/soccer on a 4 yr scholarship in business analytics with Hofstra University in NY. To note he got the scholarship not only for his footballing excellence but he was also an accomplished student and was in the top percentage of all the schools in maths. The move showed he was brave and it was at the start of Covid too so showed even more guts to move away from your family not knowing when you could get to see them again as everything was getting locked down etc etc with zero certainty around anything ie would college remain open, would he be playing or was it all going to be a wasted time for him and he could defo have taken an easier decision/path so fact he didnt shows balls.

A smart move which obviously has ultimately paid off to date but really giving he had choices it really didnt have a bad outcome more just how well would it go. Like worst scenario he would have come out with a college qualification and then he could have moved forward with that or gone back into the pro game at home or elsewhere either or. Best case scenario was he went into the MLS draft and got drafted to a team, any team really but he even exceeded that best scenario outcome as not only did he get drafted but he got drafted to Inter Miami on 20th of December just gone 2023 as a 22 year. Inter Miami of course are owned by David Beckham, have a whole host of top talent including the best player in the world Messi, who I believe prior to the move was his favourite player in the world, and also Suarez who has just joined too. Again its a move that cant really go wrong worst case scenario he improves his skillset training week in week out with the best in the now most famous side in the Americas with the world spot light on his team which is a great shop window in he ever needed it and best case scenario he gets into the team, and plays week in week out which again will propel him into the top echelons of the professional game and also into Senior International football. Just to mention sandwiched between his move to college football and the MLS he had loan spells with Georgia Revolution and Long Island Rough Riders both of which play in leagues the equivalent of the 4 tier you could say in the US. Also to mention since his arrival in the US he has been quite prolific on the goal scoring front and also with assists so was definitely turning heads.

Internationally he has played for the Northern Ireland under 19s back in twice. Obviously if all goes well and expected for him at club level he could represent Northern Ireland and the Republic at senior International level but also youd imagine depending how long more he stayed in the US and he would be of interest to them too not saying he'd take it but just saying he would have potentially 3 options at Senior International level and its always great to have options.

Competition is obviously high at Inter Miami and he will initially probably be playing second findle to their marquee signings but definitely see him proving himself and getting game time and then its just a matter of forcing his way into the team with his performances and talent on the field which he can do as he has put the hard work in and made hard decisions thus far in his career so he is clearly a hard working guy. The world will be tuning into the Inter Miami games next season, a world tour starts on the 20th of January in El Salvador, then onto Saudi Arabia for 2 matches one against Ronaldos Al Nassr, Hong Kong and Japan and the MLS season starts itself 22nd of Feb. Very very exciting times for Ryan lie ahead, with Irish fans also keeping a close eye on Inter Miami as a result and as always whatever happens we ll be watching.

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Update 11/02/25

On 24th of Jan 25 the now 23 moved to the 2nd side of Atlanta Utd who play in the MLS Nxt league with is the equivalent of the 3rd tier of US football.  With the stars now at Inter Miami it would have been hard for anyone to break into that side so probably a good move for him in the long term and still on the books of an MLS side gives him the opportunity to impress in the coming season and jump up to their first team at Atlanta in the MLS when an opportunity arises.

Welcome back to the pod today we are talking about a 19 year old Irish attacking midfielder and striker called Kallum Corr. Born in 2005 in Canada to Irish parentage from Dun Laoghaire, Dublin he comes from a footballing family and in fact his grandfather David Corr was assistant coach to Pat Devlin when he was manager at TEK Utd in Blackrock Dublin. Kallum started off his career with Coquitlam Metro Ford SC before moving to Surrey Utd. In 2019 the now 14 year old made the move to the academy of MLS side Vancouver Whitecaps. You'd imagine that having an Irish youth in their ranks would be the exception however there is/has been a few Irish Canadian youth players with the Whitecaps recently in Grady McDonnell who we did a video on before (Link below) and is now at Vancouver FC in the Canadian Premier League, and Noel Poole who is still with them also in their academy and whom we will be doing a pod on in the near future. At Whitecaps academy he progressed through the age groups U15s, U16s, U17s & U19s, continuing to play with them until end of last year 2023.

Our pod is mostly about Irish players who move from Ireland to destinations outside the norm of England and Scotland but Kallum has done it in reverse and is pushing forward with his career moving back to Ireland from Canada. In 2024 he made the brave move to give up the creature comforts and support system of home and move to the other side of the world where he most likely only visited throughout the years growing up and in January of this year the now 19 yr old went on trial and then signed with Treaty United FC in Limerick Ireland going into their U20s side. Shows the lengths and determination this guy has to make it in the pro game, which are skills you cant learn and will and has impressed Treaty Utd along with other potential suitors at other clubs in the future.

What the future holds is up to the player and his team as he has shown he is and will make the hard decisions and put in the extra mile when needed on and off the pitch. In addition to his Canadian & Irish passports he also holds a UK passports so there arent visa issues wherever he decides to go. Obviously he could return with Treaty Utd next season who remain in the Irish First Division (2nd Tier to those outside of Ireland), and push for a first team place when the season starts again next year. Of course he could also decide to move elsewhere in Ireland, UK, Europe or back in Canada or somewhere else, the world is literally his oyster. As most will know contracts in Ireland a lot of the time run from year to year so he most likely will be free and easy to decide his next move without being tied down, of course being locked in to a multi year deal is great but at 19 when you dont have too many commitments off the field being as said free and easy to do and go where you want is a great place to be. As said there ll be other options for the player and pushing on and trying to get first team football is worth its wait in gold, again if thats with Treaty, Kerry, Longford or Athlone who are all in the same division but not far away if he wants to stay in the area or somewhere else in Ireland or abroad. Youd imagine that the players priority for the coming months and season is to gain first team football above all. With playing in 2 academys in the MLS and the LOI and in 2 cotinents now under his belt hes in a great position whatever he chooses.

Welcome back to the pod today we are talking about a 31 year old striker called Garbhan Coughlan. Born 24 of Jan 1993 in Limerick and comes from a footballing family with his brotherStephen and Ronan also a striker and playing for Fleetwood Town in the English 4th tier at present. Garbhan started off playing at youth level with Mungret Regional and then around 14 moved to Ballincollig AFC in cork which was basically a 3 hour round trip from his home so a big committment from him and also his family. Then in 2009 as a 16 year old he moved to the academy of then League of Ireland side Limerick FC. There moved up to the senior set up with Limerick in 2010 as a still only 17 yr old making his Senior debut on the 27th of August 2010 in the FAI Cup and a week later making his league debut for them appearing in the Irish First Division which is the 2nd Tier in Irish football, going on to pretty much appear in all their remaining fixtures in that the 2010 season with 10 appearances in total scoring one of which was on his League debut. In total he was with Limericks senior side from 2010 more or less until 2017 with circa 79 appearances and 20 goals in all competitions. During this time he also spent 2 spells with Athlone Town first in 2013 which was a loan and in the 2015 season on a permanent appearing a combined 40 times with 12 goals over the 2 seasons. For those outside of Ireland the season in Ireland runs the calendar year ie circa March to October and another key factor is that the majority of players didnt/dont get paid in the off season which means basically a player finishes up October/November time and then has to either get a job or increase the hours of an already job outside of football to supplement their income which obviously isnt ideal for a pro athlete.

This would have been one of the key factors that led Garbhan to assess his career and look at other footballing opportunities outside of Ireland and which in his case brought him to New Zealand where on the 6th of September 2017 he made the move to the New Zealand top flight with Southern United FC where he stayed until 2020 when Covid hit and the team ceased to exist via financial pressures that perhaps already existed but became insurmountable with the shut down of football in New Zealand like other leagues all around the world. In all in his 2 and a bit years with Southern United FC his stats were great perhaps agruably the best of his career with 47 appearances and a very impressive 29 goals. To note Southern United FC had been the home in the past to an Irish International legend of the 90s in Terry Phelan who managed them between 2005 and 2009 when they were named Otago Utd, Terry is now involved in football in India.

After Southern United Garbhan moved to Canterbury United on the 1st of July 2020, turning out 14 times with an again impressive return of 6 goals. Again I presume there was disruptions to the NZ league due to the ongoing Covid Pandemic at the time. Also not sure what happened to Canterbury United senior mens side after this season as hard to source detail but appears they were not part of the new new zealand league structure perhaps they didnt meet criteria to join the new league structure, or Covid restrictions hit them too financial like lots of others and they didnt recover or they merged with some other teams to form a new team. If anyone has clarity on that let me know.

On the 1st of March 2021 the now 28 year old signed with Cashmere Technical FC, another top flight New Zealand side and there he remains over 3 years later for which has been the most profilic period for him on the pitch turning out a total of 69 times in all competitions with 105 yes you heard that right goals to his name thus far. His contract expires on the 31st of December and with stats like that youd imagine there will be a lot of interest in him from other clubs especially if he does indeed become a free agent. Perhaps a contract has already been agreed elsewhere but a key standout from Garbhans career is how loyal he is to clubs hes with ie spending pretty much all his time with Limerick, how long more would he have stayed with Southern United FC if they had not have wound up, and now with Cashmere Tech who hes been with since 2021 and is a key figure with them on and off the pitch it would appear. A great and key characteristic any club wants is a player who will literally do anything for the club and this, along with goals, is Garbhan down to a t, a player who figuritively speaking would die for his club. Normally this would be the part where i say what the future holds and where i expect the player to go from here and he could go to perhaps the A league in Australia or some other side in Asia biding for championships and continential competitions within the next 5 years of his career to add to his playing in the top 2 divisions in ireland and top division in New Zealand but in Garbhans case perhaps its a case that he has got everything and more he wants in life now on and off the field in his football career and more importantly life in general so why would you change a winning formula. He easily has 4 to 5 years at least left in playing but shows the smarts of the guy that he definitely has already a path into management or in the boardroom of a club if this is an avenue he should wish to go down in the future.

Today we are talking about a 17 yr old defender from Navan called Sam Curtis.  Usually we are talk

about up and coming stars who are playing abroad, not yet broken through and or travelling the path

less travelled.  At only 17 Sam has already played various high levels in first team club football, is

an established LOI player and represented Ireland at a multitude of youth levels right up to U21s. 

He has as of yet played exclusively in Ireland but one would imagine that is about to change in the

very near future with interest from Italy, Germany, England, Scotland, Holland and probably

elsewhere to boot.

He started his career at his local side Parkvilla who are one of the best clubs in Co.Meath.  He

moved to top youth team St Kevins Boys who have a long list of past players who have come

through there sides like Liam Brady who had an extensive career in Italy and played for Juventus

and current superstar striker Evan Ferguson rumour to Man Utd looking to wrestle him away from

Brighton in the summer.  In 2019 he moved to Shamrock Rovers as a 13 yr old, making his first

team senior debut in the League of Ireland First Division in 2020 for their reserve team as a 14 year

old which is some achievement and making him the youngest ever player in league of Ireland

history as a defender too.

In the summer of 2021 he had trials at Roma and Bayer Leverkusen as a 15 year old.  He probably

could have made a glitzy move like others to a high profile European teams academy and who

would blame him but instead he made the move to St Pats along with his brother.  Though it was

announced they would initially join the St Pats u19s team a few months later he made his debut for

the St Pats first team in the League of Ireland Premier Division.  It shows that he and his team had a 

clear plan to get first team possible now rather then move as a 15 year old to a big foreign top level

team abroad's academy.  What a great choice this was.  He has now represented St Pats 30 times in

the last 2 years and this summer or autumn, when Irish Premier Division ends, would appear, as

only a 17 year old, to have a big move abroad where now he wouldnt be moving as a youth team

player but a first team squad member of a top division team. 

So what are the rumoured interest, Roma and Bayer Leverkusen would no doubt be still interested

and have been keeping tabs on his development in the last 2 years.  A move to England too would

be obvious and he definitely would have been scouted by several teams there in the Premiership, 2

of which are reported to be Man city and Chelsea, and teams in the Championship too.  To move to

England he would have to wait until he turns 18 which is in December and would actually be

perfect as the Irish Premier Division ends in November, the start of November. 

So what of the rumour interested teams who would be the best fit for him, Man City have endless

amounts of money and while it may be the biggest club on the list, he may find it hard to break into

that team and they would probably sign him up to a long contract which may restrict him to

underage football and loans so development wise may not be the best for him.  Chelsea are just all

over the place at the moment, again contractwise may be good but would again be signed up to a

long term deal which may restrict his development long term.  Roma and Leverkusen could be good

options.  Obviously he is still very young and could hang on in the Irish Premier Division playing

week in week out and still have many years and opportunities ahead to move abroad.  Perhaps

moving abroad at a higher level like Championship in England or the Eredivisie, Hollands top

division, where he can get in the first team or thereabouts almost instantaneous.  Feyenoord are also

rumoured to be interested and this could be the best fit as he could establish himself at that level,

playing, getting paid well too and then move to the top top level as a first teamer in Italy, Germany,

Spain or England.  Championship in England would be great money but life aint about money and

by the way his career choices have gone so far I would highly doubt that is a driving factor and that

playing at the highest level and developing to the highest level is the most important while become

an established Irish International and representing at the Euros and perhaps World Cups.

On the International front he has represented Ireland at various levels U15s, U17s, 18s, 19s & 21s

just last month March 23 playing the full 90 minutes and barring some natural disaster or the end of

the world I would say it is as safe a bet as anything that he will continue to represent the U21s and

go on to represent the Senior Irish team too.  The only question really is how soon will he represent

the Senior team.  He is only 17 but youd imagine that he would have to move on from the LOI

before he could challenge for a spot.  The right wing back position is also a position Ireland already

has good players in but at 17 he could in 2 or 3 years nail it down for himself if first team football at

a high level is achieved.  He has captained Ireland on a number of occassions as well so he

obviously is highly respected as well as though off in the Irish set up and someone who is regularly

named as captain is presumed to have a good character and head on their shoulders which only adds

to his appeal for suitors at club level too.

What I imagine would happen would be he stays at St Pats until his contract which reportedly runs

out as he has just a year left or more likely November this year which is the end of the current

season in Ireland.  In theory he could then move for free early next year which would remove the

problem of another top team having to pay a transfer fee and then id say he will move to a Brighton

level premiership or Championship team.  However wouldnt it be great if St Pats sold him for a

good transfer fee prior to that and exciting to see him play regularly next season in Holland, France

or Germany and then become a highly sought after IRISH player like a fair few young English

players have done in the last few years going for huge transfer fees to huge teams, like whats about

to happen for Jude Bellingham.  Whatever happens its going to be a great and a long career at the

top for this young already sessioned pro.

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Update 6th Sept 2023

staying put at st pats

turns 18 on 1st of December

loi season ends end of october

so id imagine he will move to england when he turns 18 in a few months

priority would be to continue playing first team football somewhere but if he moves to a chelsea, man city or man utd it would most probably be into their underage set up so question is will he move to UK and take an initial step back from first team football which wouldnt be ideal but obviously that would be the more then likely most lucrative or perhaps go straight out on loan to a lower level team in January if that not a runner perhaps moving to a lower league team in england or moving to a european league may be a better fit. He and his family and team will make the best move for him regardless and it should be soon so we don't have long to wait to find out.

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Update 11/02/24

Joined Sheffield Utd on 25/01/24 on a 3 and a half year deal until summer of 2027.  Hasnt appeared for first team on pitch or on bench in 4 matches since arriving.  Sheffield are currently bottom of Premiership and 7 points from safety, so if opportunity doesnt come this season youd imagine he would be more involved in the Championship next season.  only just 18 so loads of time to settle and progress above and beyond level and club even in the not too distant future.  Great signing for all involved and may be a case that Sheffield know theyve made a good signing but unaware just how good it is but will soon find out.

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Update 02/08/24

Joins English 3rd tier side Peterborough United on season long loan.

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Returns to Sheffield on 2nd of Jan 25

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17/01/25 moves to Scottish top tier side St Johnstone until end of season.

Hi and welcome back to the pod. Today we are talking about a defender currently right back called Matteo Egan, currently 16, born 19th November 2007 so just turned 16 a few days ago.

He is signed to Italian Serie A team Empoli, playing in their youths, U17s to be specific and has been there from about the age of 9, so has obviously done well and impressed progressing through the youth ranks to date. Empoli first team are currently 17th out of 20th in Serie A but a lot of season yet to go so who knows what ll happen at this stage or where they will be next season. Their first team has one of Paolo Maldinis sons on loan from AC Milan, has a lot of on loan players actually 11 in total of a first team squad consisiting of circa 28 players. They have no Italian regular internationals with 3 in total having caps circa 5 caps in total between the 3 of them 2 of them in their 30s and havent had a cap for about 10 years and a 20 year old with 1 senior cap last year who is on loan from Lazio and has only played twice for Empoli. They have 9 other senior internationals of varying degrees/appearances from other countries like Poland, Ukraine, Ghana, New Zealand, Romania & Albania. Point is they have a light squad for a top tier team and this youd imagine could give young players an opportunity and pathway into the first team squad and even team but obviously you would need a manager and hierarcy you were on board with that and had that vision which it would appear at the moment is not the case as there is 3 players in first team squad from their academy and fact they have so many loans it would appear they are more going for the seasoned tried and tested approach as opposed to giving their youth a chance which may, i dont know in their case be an ok idea for now, but in the long run the youth is the future and better approach but who am i to say just my very very humble opinion.

He qualifies for Ireland through his father and received his first International call up on 10th of May this year for Ireland, making his debut against Latvia in the starting line up and playing 70 mins in the UEFA Development Tournament in Slovakia which Ireland went on to win with 3 wins against Latvia, Ukraine and Slovakia. He also qualifies for Italy via his mother and growing up in italy if the call came he would definitely have an interest there too, not saying he would defo go the italian route but obviously they are a better international standing and there is a very strong connection so if when the time comes he may lean that way depending on how his underage international football has gone and where he is playing at that time, presume still in italy but in todays world you never know the world is a very open place with lots of opportunities.

 Today we are talking about a 25 year old midfielder winger from Swords in Dublin called Zachary Elbouzedi.

Zach started his career with underage teams Shelbourne, then Rivervalley Rangers, & finally Malahide Utd before moving to the academy of then Premier League team West Bromich Albion in 2014 as a 16 year old.

After 3 years there, in the summer of 2017 as a 19 year old he moved to Scottish team Inverness Caledonian Thistle on his first pro contract, a 2 year deal. Inverness were in the Scottish Championship ie 2nd division in Scotland at the time. The day after signing he got injured and was out for around 5 months so was unavailable for selection. On 30th of December he signed for Elgin City on a 28 day short term emergency loan deal. Elgin City were in the Scottish League 2 ie 4 division at the time and this helped him get match fit coming back from injury. In all he turned out for them 3 times. He then went on to make his long awaited debut for Inverness on the 13th of March 2018. He turned out a total of 4 times for Inverness but left on 31st of August 2018, having his contract terminated by mutual consent as he wasnt playing and felt it was not going to happen for him there and he had to go elsewhere to get first team football.

A week later on the 7th of November 2018, the now 20 year old moved back to Ireland signing for Waterford FC who at the time were in the Irish Premier Division. At Waterford he finally got a good week in week out run in first team football and played 27/29 times scoring 6 goals.

After just over a year with Waterford the 21 yr old moved back to the England signing for Lincoln City in League 1 (3rd division in England) on 1st of January 2020. Though it was announced as a long term deal he only played 7 times for the Lincoln City first team, obviously covid played a role in this number too as football ceased for a time. He went on loan to Bolton Wanderers at 22 on 16th of Jan 2021 and had a fairly good run with them up until the end of the 20/21 season making 14 appearances for the League 2 side (4th division in England) and helping them go from 19th to getting promoted a few months later.

He then moved to the Swedish top flight with AIK for an undisclosed fee on the 15th July 2021 at 23 years of age on a 3 and a half year deal until 31st of December 2024. It was a move that was a few years in the making when he played well in an U21s match for Ireland against Sweden whos assistant manager at the time then became manager at AIK and had kept tabs on Zack. Here he is to date and has made 46 appearances and scoring 2 goals in the past 2 years with AIK. Great to see his best run of games and period is at the highest level he has played so far too. At present AIK are 14 games into the Swedish league and are in 14th ie 3rd from bottom. Zach is playing week in week out albeit from the bench at present but he has been a starter regularly during his time at AIK too. AIK are 1 of the big 3 in Swedish football, as said currently not in a great league position but still early doors in their league and since hes been there they just missed out on the league title by goal difference his first season and last season they finished 5th so just outside europa spots. Its a good league, team and level to be at and for him personally at only 25 its great. Im sure his plan is to nail down that first team spot again and help them steer away from the bottom of the table in the coming months. AIK not involved in European football at present but they do have circa 12 to 13 current and former Internationals in their squad so hes definitely rubbing shoulders with top seasoned pros and his manager is Henning Berg ex Blackburn Rovers, Man Utd & Norwegian international. All this will only stand to him personally and help further his skillset, experience and career.

Internationally himself, though he has not represented Ireland at Senior level yet he has represented us extensively at every underage level U15, 16, 17, 18, 19 & 21s. He dad is from Libya and his ma is irish so he has options too and Libya has been in contact with him but he has said to play for Ireland is the dream and with his CV at club level so far, ie being at clubs at virtually every level in UK and Ireland, he isnt far away from getting the nod for the senior side one would imagine depending on whos looking and where they are looking :) & perhaps where he goes after AIK unless of course AIK significantly improve their current form and start competing domestically and in europe. With no disrespect to Libya if an Irish opportunity didnt arise he could always play for Libya at the later stages of his career to get senior International football on the world stage on his CV but Id suspect he will indeed get his chance for Ireland in a year or 2 barring any further injuries and depending on his next club move. Also he has played with lots of current Senior Internationals in the U21s like Troy Parrott, Adam Idah, Bazunu & Dara O Shea who was also at West Brom so he knows to name but a few hes at that level or there abouts.

Staying at AIK until the end of his reported contract ie dec 24 would leave him in a very good postion as again he could continue his success as a first team player in Swedens top division, staying with AIK on an improved deal, or move for free to potential suitors whether that be another of the current big boys in Swedish football or elsewhere in Europe. Until his move to AIK his career had been affected by injuries but at AIK hes had a proper run at it and you would have to say the timing couldnt be better and also he is now at the highest point of his career to date and performing week in week out so really is the best time like not ideal to have the injuries hes had but to have them in the early part of your career and then sort it all out with the knowledge of what does and doesnt work for you and with the knowledge of what to do and not do to avoid further injuries where at all possible. Hes now still only 25 but has all this wealth of knowledge and experience behind him and now playing at the highest level of his career so far and a very decent level too in a league whos clubs regularly play in Europa and Champions Leagues competitions and is full of International players for multiple Nations he, on his own merit and by association too, will be in the shop window so you can expect him to get noticed by various clubs in top leagues around Europe and seeing as he has already broken off the shackles of playing further a field then just Ireland and UK the world really is his ouster and opportunities are sure to have already come in and will continue to flow in for him. He is already in a great place so its really up to him if when it suits him to move and what is the best move for his career and financially too which will get him to where he needs to be to push for Senior football for Ireland too. Interesting and exciting times ahead and whatever happens we ll be watching. If you like please subscribe, leave a comment or like. Cheers.

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Update 6th Sept 2023

Age 25 dob 5th april 1998

staying put at AIK,

contracted until dec 24

not starting and hasnt played in last 3 games??? check before

needs to get back into starting, so priority will be to force himself back into team and or move when contract up

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Update 11/02/24

Joins Swindon Town in League Two ie 4th division in England on loan until end of season.  has appeared for them in both games since arriving, first off the bench and 2nd game started.  Swindon currently so wont be getting promoted this season and well off relegation zone points wise so will be a 4th division team next season.  Imagine he wont want to be at that level come next season but as of now its good to get game time and put himself in the shop window for a potential permanent transfer in the summer.  AIK season starts 1st April, so if he does well at swindon may get back into their team come summer, hes contracted with AIK until end of Swedish season which runs April to Dec, so ends December so youd imagine they will either try to sell take him back and let him prove himself and then either offer him a new deal or if not in their plans release him, or try to sell him in summer if possible for a nominal fee, but fact he would be able to sign with someone for free may stop that scenario or loan him out again until end of his contract so his wages are off their books.  Presume he ll go back at end of season and sit there until he becomes a free agent and then sign end of year or start of 2025 with someone.

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30th June 2024 returned to Sweden with AIK following loan with swindon.

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17/07/24 joins st pats on whats reported as a multi year deal ie min 2 years.  first major signing at st pats by former ireland manager stephen kenny.

Today we are talking about an 18yr midfielder called Justin Ferizaj who is from Dublin and currently plays for Shamrock Rovers.

Born 13th of January 2005, he started off at Dublin youth teams Verona at the age of 3 until 10 years of age. He then moved to top youth sides Home Farm and St Kevins Boys for a year until he went to Shamrock Rovers as a 14 yr old where he has been ever since representing at various youth levels until making his debut last year as a 17 yr old. He also comes from a footballing family as his younger brother Richard is also a budding player who is on the books of Shamrock Rovers too and has had trials with Atletico Madrid. As said Justin made his senior debut as a 17 yr old with Rovers last season ie the 22 season in a 2-1 win over St Pats in June 2022. To date he has made 21 senior appearances for them with 1 goal in all compeitions, 9 of which were in the league, over the last season and a half. Rovers of course are the reigning defending Premier Division champions and currently sit top of the current league season, so very impressive for an only 18 year old.

Though he is only starting his career off with Shamrock Rovers, he is highly highly thought of player who Rovers would love to keep but he is also sought after by a litany of top clubs around Europe. He has had trials with several clubs over the past year including Hamburg in Germany, and Tottenham Hotspurs all with the permission of Shamrock Rovers. He has also had contract offers from clubs like Blackburn Rovers and Sampdoria, who offered a 3 year deal which it is said he turned down. Other reportedly interested clubs include Roma, Man City, Juventus, Celtic & Rangers.

Shamrock Rovers did get him signed up to a pro contract last year, reportedly until the end of this year end of November with no release clause which would probably mean if he was to go now they would get a transfer fee though probably not a very sizeable one but hopefully in the region of 6 figures.

With so much interest in him it is surprising and also not so that it would appear that he has agreed to sign for new Serie A team Frosi/no/ne, who won Serie B last season, in their debut season in Serie A, their squad has no senior internationals in it which is unusual for a Serie A team and no stars. Their season kicks off in Serie A on 19th of August against Napoli so if he does indeed sign in next week would be interesting to see if he goes into first team squad which would be great and not into their youths. Also if they find it hard in Serie A and get relegated perhaps if he does well it perhaps might give him an opportunity if they cash in on him so he gets first team football and then gets a move to a bigger team or level then Serie B. Alternatively if they did get relegated playing week in week out in Serie B aint bad for a would be then 19 year old. Of course they may do well or avoid the drop too, so once he plays some part its a great move for him. Obviously he could have moved to a higher profile team but perhaps may have had to do a stint in the academy with a view to breaking into whichever club he signed fors first team. Being 18 means English clubs can sign him now so financially alone this would put the big English clubs like Spurs and Man City in the driving seat as they would be able to offer more then most other teams and therefore outbid other clubs around the world if they so wished. Of course players shouldnt always just go for the biggest financial package on offer and perhaps this is why he is potentially going to a new fairly unknown Italian Serie A team without any big star players as there may be an opening to get into the first team sooner rather then later and avoid going into an academy. Like if he was to start playing week in week out football at Shamrock Rovers which is definitely something that is going to happen imminently, you'd imagine he would stick around there for a bit longer so the fact he is going abroad and to a lesser known italian team albeit in Serie A, youd imagine the plan is to get into the first team straight away or as close as and if that is the plan it sounds like a pretty shrewd plan by him and his team getting game time and exposure at the very highest level at such an early stage in his career.

Internationally he has represented Ireland extensively at youth level thus far with the U15, 17s, 18, & 19s and youd imagine this will only progress to U21s level and then the Seniors. Born in Ireland but he does have the option of Albania too as both parents are originally from there. Albania has show interest in him too and offered to fast track him into their Senior set up but again looking from the outside it would appear he only has eyes for Ireland so far but if there was any stalling on the Irish managements side down the line this may be an avenue he might want to explore, of course hopefully that doesnt happen and he gets capped by us sooner rather then later.

At only 18 with first team football with the Irish Champions and so much interest in him the future looks very good for him, a deal to Frosinone looks like its going to happen but of course it hasnt gone through yet so really anything could happen and he could still decide some other team or scenario suits him better so until a contract is signed nothing is off the table but good times ahead appear to be a mere formality and whatever happens we ll be watching.

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Update 6th Sept 2023

18year old dob 13th Jan 2005 signed for Frosinone on 22nd of August for a reported nominal fee and a long term contract ?

Just the beginning and hopefully will break into the first team squad soon. Imo a potentially great move and whatever happens a win win for the player himself

2 videos ago we discussed the Irish Messi, Zak Gilsenan who was at Barcelona but at the same time there was another youngester with Irish roots at Barcelonas rivals Real Madrid. A 9 year old called John Joe Patrick Finn Benoa. It doesnt come more Irish then a name like that. His father was Irish and his mother is from Cameroon and he was born and bred in Madrid Spain.

For some reason there wasnt as much clamour about him as Zak but it was still a story of note in Ireland. One can only imagine if both had have made it through the youth ranks at both Spanish clubs into the first team and if they played for the Irish international team, to have both a Barca and a Real player representing Ireland at all but at the same time wow coulda should woulda stuff of dreams.

After that there was no real mention of John Joe Patrick online or in Irish press and one would have been forgiven to think he never made it as a player and that was the end of the story. However they would have been wrong. Roll on 8 years and a 17 year old is making his debut for the Getafe first team and was in fact the youngest ever player to play for them, and his name was John Patrick nothing more nothing less.

It would appear he left Real 2 years after signing for them ie joining Real in 2012 as a 9 year old and leaving in. He then moved to Canillas from 2014 to 2015 and then 2015 to 2018 to Alcobendas both teams in Madrid and both at youth level. In 2018 he signed for Getafe's youth team, and then as said making his debut as a 17 yr old in 2020 with 6 appearances no goals all coming off the bench in the 20/21 season.

Unfortunately his father appears to have passed away which at any age is devastating but at a young age is even worse. Fact he didnt implode after this which would have been understandable but kept moving forward with his career shows that he is hard working, dedicated guy destined to have a career in the sport.

20/21 season Getafe were fighting relegation so more then likely the manager was sticking to experienced pros instead of giving exciting young players a chance. Last season there was a new manager and John Patrick was playing regularly for the Getafe B team which play in the Spanish 4th Division which is still perfectly good for an 18 year old. This season, preseason he was in the first team squad, and is now in the Getafe b team again. I believe his contract was up in June 22. It appearted there was interest in him from Germany with Eintract Frankfurt, and even rumours of interest from Leeds and Man Utd but obviously Getafe rate him highly and made it worth his while to extend his contract.

With a name like John Joe Patrick Finn you'd imagine he was a shoe in to play for Ireland but he has lots of options of which must also be of interest to him besides Ireland. His mother is from Cameroon so theres the biggest treat to Ireland, but also Spain which if they come a calling is the end for everyone else. Also by some reports he has an option of England, not sure how if true. Unless Spain option arises it would appear it would be a straight shoot out between Ireland and Cameroon with Cameroon arguably more attractive if you ask me due to them playing regularly in the Africian Nations and more chance of qualify for World Cups then Ireland. If Ireland can act fast and are ahead of the curve before he makes his big breakthrough at club level and fast track him into the first team with maybe a few appearances from the bench then maybe we can get a future superstar and not another this player could have been an irish international what if story, though i know that approach may be questionable and I get people saying a player doesnt warrant a spot until they are playing regularly at a high level, which is grand but at that stage Ireland always lose out if there is bigger and or more attractive options for players on the International stage. He has played at youth level for Ireland most recently U19 in 2021. He also has a younger brother, Brandon, who has also played at u15s level for ireland and in the Getafe academy. Heres hoping they both make it to Irish senior level and we have 2 La Liga brothers playing at the highest level and representing Ireland.

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Update 6th Sept 2023

age 19 dob 24 sept 2003 so nearly 20

staying put

in the Getafe B reserve team which plays in the 4th division in spain so in theory is getting first team football

contract expires reportedly June next year 24

so will be interesting to see what the next move will be then ie will he be offered and accept a new deal or will he decide he needs to be playing first team football at a higher level then the spanish 4th division and try his luck elsewhere as a result

_____________________________________________________________________________________________Update as of 10/10/23 

is appearing regularly on the bench for the first team in past number of weeks.

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One of the glamour signings of the Transfer Window from an Irish point of view if you ask me when on the 15th Jan 2025 after playing a few times for the Getafe first team this season, the 21yr old signs with French Ligue 1 side Stade de Reims for a reported €1million fee where he joins fellow Irish Youth International Ike Orazi (17) who has also debuted for Reims first team on back in December in the cup & league on the 9th of Feb just gone. Hasnt looked back since turning out 4 out of the 5 games since his arrival, just missing the first game which was a few days after his arrival which is a normal scenario. Of those 4 games he has started all. March cant come quick enough for the player and Irish fans alike as this should translate to an Irish Senior squad call up and the sooner hes capped the better before other nations come calling as hes options with Spain & Cameroon too. The ball is firmly in Irelands court at the moment as he has mentioned Ireland several times since his signing for Reims and was drapped in the Irish flag too at the unveiling, fingers crossed the management team dont waste the opportunity to get him in Green asap as the longer its left gives a chance of him slipping away from us and having his head turned elsewhere especially if hes tearing it up at Reims in the French Top Tier. An Real Madrid academy player, a Spanish top tier pro with Getafe and now French Top Tier club first teamer, the time is now COYBIG.

Hi and welcome back to the pod. Today we are talking about a 16 year old midfielder called Rory Finneran. Born 29th of February 2008 in England, he joined Blackburn Rovers at the age of 8 and has worked his way through the youth teams there. In January this year as a 15 yr old he came on for the Blackburn Rovers first team in their FA Cup 3rd round match against Cambridge Utd on the 6th of Jan 2024 and as such became the youngest ever first team player for Blackburn Rovers. He was on the bench prior to that in the Championship in Dec 2023 and appeared on the bench again for them in the FA cup 5th round against Newcastle, who coincidently are one of a host of teams interested in signing him.

Internationally he has represented Ireland u15s, u16s & u17s extensively to date, captaining at u16s level and also was u15s International player of the year last year 2023 for Ireland. He qualifies for Ireland through his Sligo grandparents who hailed from Skreen and Templeboy. He also qualifies for England through birth but as of yet has only represented Ireland.

Blackburn's season has not been a great one for the club and are in 19th in the Championship 3 points off the relegation zone with 2 games left at the time of writing. If they were to stay up or get relegated wouldnt really impact him personally as both scenarios would give him opportunities depending on the approach the manager and hierarcy might take. For example if they were to stay up he is 16 and would only be more involved next season and well on course as an only 16 yr old. Alternatively if they were unfortunately relegated, the manager could decide to give youth more of an opportunity when players are sold, of course this is not always the approach from managers as they may in fact decide to get older seasoned tried and tested pros in to bouce straight back up but again either way youd imagine he would be more involved that is of course if he stays at Blackburn as he has options. To note Blackburn have a clear pathway themselves for youth players into the first team week in week out and also have a been very successful with a large contigent of Irish as well. He has yet to sign a pro deal with Rovers, who have offered him a pro contract of course and remain in dialogue with his representatives re same. He could yet move this summer and although Blackburn would be entitled to compensation it would be far less then what they would want and of course they above all would not want to lose top talent at all. But the ball is in his court really, there has been interest from Premier League teams, rumoured amongst them to be Newcastle who have significant financial muscle and are a club of course of the up so that would be an attractive option for him, one that would be hard to turn down. There is also rumoured interest from Germany by various unnamed Bundesliga teams, Germany has been a very successful option for young players who have a clear path to being fast tracked and developed into first team players at the elite level so that would again be a very attractive option. Competition will be very intense for him in the summer and he is in a great situation, stay at Blackburn continue his development, move to a higher level club or abroad to somewhere like Germany. If i was to guess id imagine Newcastle will come out on top but we shall know in the very near future and he, his family and team will choose the best option for him and his career.

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30/07/24

Joins Newcastle United academy 

Today we are talking about Cristiano Fitzgerald a 19 yr old forward. What a name and what a journey so far for this 19 year old. Born in Singapore, he moved to England at a young age, then to the US, then back to Singapore, then to Portugal, then back to the US and then back to Portugal as a 16 year and starts his football career in earnest with Boavista. The name is obviously very glitzy too, named after Cristiano Ronaldo of course who had just signed for Man Utd, a team his father supported and when he saw ronaldo playing for Utd at the start he decided to name their kid after him before he was the global star he is now. Weird too that Cristiano Fitzgerald would be a similar type of player as in speed, position and starting off in Portugal, none of which could have been known before he was born.

As said he starts his career at a serious level with Boavista in 2017 as a 13yr old until 2019, then goes back to California with De Anza Force in 2019, due to his fathers work, and then back to Boavista in 2020 as a 16 year old in their academy. In the summer of 2022 it was reported he was on trial at Dundee Utd who were interested in him but this never actually happened as he got injured. In September 2022 he signed professional terms with them, and signed a new deal just 3 months later in December for another 3 and a half years, so hes obviously one they have plans for and are keen to stave off interest in and keep at the club. Boavista currently 12th in the Portugese top division.

He is a very pacy player, clocked at 35 km and his immediate plans are to break into the Boavista first team squad in the remain time of the season and year too and try get as much first team minutes under his belt. He also wants to break into the Irish U21s this year too.

On the international front he is born to an Irish father and a French mother he has many many options available for International football so chances of this guy playing senior international football for someone are highly likely. He potentially qualifies for 6 countries, Ireland, France through parentage, US, England, and Portugal through residency and Singapore through birth. So far Ireland has been the only choice for the now 19 year old and it would appear as long as Ireland are interested in him and treat him well and he progresses through the levels, next being u21, that he will stick with Ireland. He has only represented Ireland internationally at U19 and no one else so for now Ireland are in the driving seat.

For the player himself the fact he has been globe trotting around the world in his childhood until now, will obviously mean he will not be restrictive in his views and options at playing football so if it wasnt to work out at Boavista or if a better opportunity came up for him somewhere else in the world he would take it as the world is definitely his oster and any restrictions visa wise too would more then likely not apply to him one would imagine. So I have no doubt whatever scenario happens for this guy and his career he will have a long career in football. Again another very interesting story and journey so far and in the future awaits.

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Update 11/02/24

Signs a 2 and a half year Permanent Transfer to fellow Portugese top tier side CF Estrela who are currently 12th in league 3 points behind his old team Boavista so pretty much same level side, owned by ex man u player patrice evra,  they maybe not as well known outside of Portugal but a top tier side with famous ownership and youd imagine the move is a step closer to first team football, though hasnt appeared in first team or on bench in first 2 games since he arrived.  Just 20 a few months ago, expect to see him on bench at least this season and then getting stuck in right and proper next season.  Prior to move he had been with Dundalk training for a week with a view to a season long loan from Boavista but while there this option also came up.

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Joins Maryland University in US college soccer in summer 2024 leaving CF Estrela on a permanent. 

Today we are talking about a retired forward called Dominic Foley who thought outside the box and played outside the normal Ireland and then UK route which would have been not unheard of but definitely unusual and not common at all.

Born in Cork he started off his career at Charleville. Then moved to Dublin side St James Gate for the 94/95 season at the age of 18. St James Gate is obviously originally linked to Guinness and when Dominic moved there they were actually in the League of Ireland in the First Division which is the 2nd division in Ireland so a great first step into the pro game. Just as a matter of interest Katie Taylor before she became an International superstar played football too and at one point in time represented St James Gate too.

Anyways he stayed at St James Gate for 1 year when as a 19 year old in 1995 he signed for Wolves who were then in the First Division now called the Championship which is the 2nd Division in England. Though never a regular in the team he stayed for 4 years between 1995 and 1999 turning out a respectable 29 times with 3 goals. In 1998 he went on 3 loans first to Watford, then Notts County and then an interesting one to Greece for Greek top division side Ethnikos Piraeus F.C. Who were managed by Howard Kendall. There he had probably his most prolific period though short appearing 7 times in which he scored 3 goals on a month or so long loan. Still this must have opened his eyes to the bigger possibilities of playing further a field to a player then just those of playing in Ireland and the UK.

He then returned to sign for Watford, who were in the Premiership, on a free transfer in 1999 on a 4 year deal as a 23 who he had been on loan with the previous year. They were managed at the time by legendary Graham Taylor rip, who had signed Dominic originally for Wolves. Watford got relegated at the end of the same season he signed and remained in the First Division for following next 3 years while he was on their books. Taylor got sacked and he was replaced by another legend in Vialli and his assistant was Ray Wilkins, again all of whom like Taylor have sadly passed away. In all he played 33 times (12 of which were in his first season at the very top of football in the Premiership) and scored 5 goals in total during his time at Watford which again is very respectable and in fact was the catalyst which led to him being capped for Ireland at Senior level. While with Watford he went on 5 loan deals the last 2 years, Queens Park Rangers twice, Swindon, Southend United and Oxford United.

At the expiry of his contract with Watford, on the 1st of July 2003 the 26 year old again made another unorthodox and equally exciting move to Portugal with top division side Braga via former irish international Mickey Walsh. He signed a 2 year contract though only stayed for 1 season, having not settled he approached the club after 1 year and got out of the contract. In total he turned out a total of 12 times with 1 goal.

On 1st of July 2004 he moved back to Ireland and signed for Bohemians aka Super Bohs as a 27 year old. He signed mid season as League of Ireland had the previous year changed the season to run as a summer league playing all fixtures in the one calendar year to help improve/do better in european club competitions. It was actually current Irish manager Stephen Kenny who was managing bohs and signed him but a few days after signing him Kenny got sacked before Foley even had his first training session with the team. Kenny was replaced by Gareth Farrelly as Bohs manager. Farrelly and Foley knew each other well as they had played together and roomed together for Ireland in the U21s and were in a couple of Irish Senior squads back in 2000. Foley had a great season arguably his best up until that date, playing 30 times and scoring 7 goals. The following June 2005 Bohs were playing Belgian side Gent in the Intertoto cup, a match Foley again impressed in.

On 1st of July 2005 he then signed for Gent who he impressed in said tie. There was some controversy at the time about the move as he moved on a free due to non payment of bonus' by bohs. I mean no offence to bohs but you cant blame a player for taking a better option and if he can legally get out of a contract thats the clubs fault not his and its a short career and you have to take the best financial options and highest level you can or youll regret it and miss out. You have to feel sorry for Bohs missing out on a transfer fee but again not the players fault at all.

Anyways he moves to Gent who again are in the top division in Belgium as a now 28 going on 29 year old. Belgium was by far his most successful run and time of his career at the highest level at a top european league he consistantly played at. He played for Gent from 2005 until 2009 playing a total of 103 times with 29 goals and being named captain at the start of the 07/08 season.

The 32 yr was then was sold to Cercle Brugge on 1st of Jan 09 with his contract in the final 6 months at Gent. At Cercle he played 3 seasons turning out 70 times and scoring 19 goals until 2012, so 7 years in total in Belgium with 2 of Belgiums big teams playing in a very talented pool of players where young superstars of the future like Kompany, Courtois, De Bruyne & Lukaku were it was the pinnacle of Belgium football who were investing time and resources in developing Belgium football and youth at the time. Belgium league was good anyways but when he joined it was probably at that time the best version and standard re players etc it had ever been so he really was at the highest highest level.

He could have stayed on in Belgium in some shape or form but had always wanted to return to Ireland and put down roots here with his young family. He therefore returned to Ireland for one last season in 2012 signing for Limerick on a 1 and a half year deal. He played form them in the Irish First Division (2nd division), turning out 17 times in his final season, scoring 3 goals and what a way to go out but in his final season as a pro help Limerick get promoted to the Irish Premier Division. Another testiment to his character he got injured with 6 months left, could have sat there picking up a cheque without playing but approached the club to tell them he probably wouldnt be able to play again and left saving them losing wages they would have otherwise had to have paid, nice gesture.

Internationally he represented Ireland at Youth and Senior level. All his Senior caps came in 2000 while playing for Watford in the Premiership and you would have to say he probably should have warranted more Senior caps as a result of his game time that year as he played 6 times and scored twice so a good return but unfortunately got injured in his last International game in 2000 against Finland which sidelined him for 6 months and never made it back into the squad thereafter which again you would have to say must of felt quite harsh. Back then the internet wasnt what it was today so perhaps was a case of out of sight out of mind as there wouldnt have been any coverage of the Belgian League and FAI more then likely were keeping tabs on anyone outside of the UK especially in Belgium and werent going to be sending reps over to keep tabs on 1 player so that was it for him on his international caps.

In all his career may have gone under the radar at times but he definitely made the most of it and played at a very high level throughout, mixing with top players and managers throughout. He basically played at all levels in England and Ireland, and played in the top division in England, Ireland, Greece, Portugal and Belgium along with European football at club level and Internationl football a very impressive CV and career by anyones standards. He is now back in Cork after his long career at 47, works in Sales today and does a bit of local coaching back in Charleville though hasnt ruled out a return to coaching at some stage in the future as he does have his uefa badges and is well known in Belgian football which again is on a bit of a high club wise at the moment so perhaps that could be an avenue he might have if he ever decides to go into coaching on a professional level.

Great career, great example for current Irish players that the UK isnt the be and end all of it and thanks for the interesting exciting journey you took the fans on who were watching.

Welcome back to the pod. Today we are talking about a 28 yr old full back who has also played as a winger and currently a full back called Jon Gallagher. Born 23rd of Feb 1996 he grew up in Blackrock in Louth where he started playing under 6s for the local team until circa 2005 when as a 9 year old he and his family moved to various countries such as the Jamaica, US, and Singapore due to his dads job in Guinness. There he continued to play football as a kid with clubs like Beachside SC in Connecticut in the US from 2008 to 2010 and Home United from 2010 to 2012 in Singapore.

In 2012 at the age of 15 he and his family felt it was turning into a viable career option but that they would have to move back to this side of the world to maximise opportunities and therefore he made the tough decision to move to England, on his own to note which is a big decision for the family as a whole, where he continued his schooling in boarding school. This move was brave but calculated and a smart one. While there he had trials with the likes of Juventus, Marseille, Newcastle and Blackburn and while ultimately at the time he didnt get picked up by a pro club and must have been disappointing at the time he enhanced his skillset no doubt and after the initial disappoint would have made him more determined to push on even further. After schooling he would have had options but with one eye on an education, connections in the US he and his family decided to go the US college route where he could get a top level education and also continue to play football to a high level with an ultimate route of getting into the MLS a pathway if all went according to plan. For most like in all aspects of football no matter what route you choose most dont make it but Jon had shown the grit and determination needed, also the intellect, had a good support behind him in his family, in addition to the skill and perhaps most important the hard work ethic leaving no stone unturned.

Therefore in 2013/2014 as a now 18 year old he moved to the US to play college football with the University of Notre Dame until 2017. He could have made the jump in circa Jan 2017 to the MLS draft but decided to hang on to complete his business degree ie putting off the opportunity of being in the draft that year until the following year which again shows the smarts and long game plan mentality the guy has. Overall in his time with Notre Dame he scored 39 goals in 84 games to basically a 1 in 2 games goal ratio so impressive stats.

On the 19th of January 2018, the now 21 year old soon to be 22, was selected by Atlanta United in the MLS draft. There he went on to play 38 times with 7 goals between 2018 and 2019 for the Atlanta United 2 side in the USL which is basically the 2nd tier of US football, so the projectory was on course for the player. The Atlanta United team at the time was managed by the former Barcelona, Argentina and current Inter Miami manager Gerardo Martino and were on the up. A regular with the first team in training and on the bench the player himself was happy to bide his time and wait for his opportunity which shows a good professional temperament where others may have felt they werent getting their opportunity and try to push a move elsewhere he knew it would come and was happy to wait.

And he was right as his first foray into the pros came shortly thereafter albeit it not with Atlanta when the club decided to get him the first team experience to enable him to progress by sending him on loan on the 22nd of June 2019 to Scottish top flight side Aberdeen in the Scottish Premiership who had made enquiries about him. The loan was initially for the remainder of the MLS season ie circa Nov 2019 but clearly Aberdeen were impressed and negotiated to hold onto him for the full 19/20 Scottish season. In total he turned out 31 times with 1 goal in all competitions at the still young age of now 23.

At the end of his loan with Aberdeen the now fully fledged player rejoined the Atlanta United side mid way through there 2020 MLS season and as expected hit the ground running as a now integral part of their first team turning out 16 times with 4 goals in the remainder of the 2020 MLS season.

He was now 25 and had become a wanted man and new MLS side Austin FC brought him in from Atlanta on the 1st of July 2021 ahead of their inaugral MLS season in the MLS. His impact was immediate scoring their first ever home goal in the MLS. At Austin he has again become an integral part of the club, is a cult hero, one of the first names on the team sheet, has transitioned to full back from a winger, with 138 appearances to date and 12 goals in all competitions, with Austin signing him in early 2023 up to a longer term 4 year deal expiring 31 December 2026 with an option of a further year showing how much they value him as a key player. Also worth noting last season he was named in the MLS All Star team/game showing just how highly he is rated with his club and the league as a whole.

Internationally he has to date not represented Ireland at any level but you have to have his name in the conversation at this stage and for a while now in the senior set up you'd imagine. Obviously with players being in the MLS perhaps the eyes arent on them as much as they probably should be. Youd imagine the FAI should have scouts there and watch matches from here too to keep tabs on Irish players there at all levels from youth to senior level and thats arguably a missed trick, but also keeping tabs on potentially American born Irish eligible players in the MLS too. Again depending how you see it the MLS is a English Championship, Scottish Premiership, English League one level league imo the first 2. Therefore if we are taking players in those leagues into the Irish Senior side why would you ignore the MLS and players like Jon that are playing and starting week in week out and excelling. Seems mad to me and he should have at least been in some squads at this stage to assess him in relation to our current squad and especially as a full back where perhaps there are opportunities for Irish players in the Irish Senior set up.

Would he have to move to Europe or even the UK to get noticed surely those days are behind us in such a global world and also especially with direct flights from the US making it very excessible. In my opinion I would put him in the next ie this November Nation leagues squad why not, hes a first team starter week in week out in a top league, in the prime of his career at 28 and with a full season behind him at a close so he is 100% match fit coming into this November International window and capable of playing multiple positions, so again imo on merit and performance deserves to be in the squad. Perhaps an exciting offer for him and his club will come in in January but id imagine he will hang on for another season in the MLS with Austin next year ie and perhaps move Jan 2026 but again why should he and the player and his team and showed real intellect in all choices and decisions in his career to date so will have a plan for the future and do whats best for him of course.

Today we are talking about a 20 year old defender called Anselmo Garcia MacNulty.

Born and raised in Seville, Spain he began his career playing with his friends until went on trialed and signed for La Liga side (top division in Spain) Real Betis who are based in Seville as an 7 year old. He worked his way through and then in 2019 as a 16 year old moved to Germany with VFL Wolfsburg who again play in the Bundesliga the top division in Germany.

He played in the youths with Wolfsburg and regularly trained with the first team, by all accounts doing well and adjusting well to life in Germany. Highly thought of they loaned him out to NAC Breda, in Holland in July 22 who play in 2nd division on a season long loan. He made his debut for them on 5th of August 22 and so began his first team football experience as a 19 year old. Since he joined Breda he has been a starter in their defence and playing week in week out which is great for such a young player. Breda are doing ok too and are mid table. You would have to say although it is the second division in Holland it has been a successful loan for the player, Wolfsburg and Breda and having gained this first team experience he will have a very good chance of breaking into the first team of Wolfsburg next season, something that would be great from an Irish point of view ie having a 20 yr old Irish player playing in the top division in Germany, Wolfsburg are currently 7th.

On the International it was him who reached out to the FAI to alert them of his availability while he was at Real Betis, came to a 3 day camp and played for Ireland against Man city. He has been a regular at various youth levels in the Irish set up so far. He has played for Ireland at U15, U17 & U19s level thus far. He qualifies for Ireland due to his mother being from Clare, and used to spend summers in Ireland when he was younger. He obviously has a strong connection with Ireland too and if he was to break into first team football at Wolfsburg or some other top division next season he could see himself being capped for Ireland by the end of the year. This would be the best scenario for Ireland too, as he does of course qualify for Spain. His father is Spanish, he grew up there and would clearly have a real pull to represent them too if the opportunity arose in the near future but perhaps due to fact that he has a fairly substantial history with Ireland already at youth level if he were to break into first team football with Wolfsburg next season it might just be too soon for Spain to act to get him playing for them. So near future is best for Ireland and longer it is left or if he developes even quicker then we may lose him to Spain. Either way has been an interesting career so far for him which has spanned 3 countries already in club football. Thanks for listening.

The Famous “Irish Messi”. Rose to fame when he joined the Barca academy and became an overnight celebrity going viral in Ireland. Thats not the beginning and end of the then 8 yr now 19 year olds story, he isnt just a 15 minutes of fame person.

Born in Australia to Irish parents who emigrated there, he began playing for local Carramar Cougars, then Sorrento and in 2011 Perty Glory all at youth level. It was at this time he attended a training camp and then trial for Tottenham Hotspurs which in itself was exceptionally great going for the then 8 year old

but this ledto him being scouted by Barcelona who signed him to their academny in 2012 where he remained for 2 yrs. He then found himself having to move as a result of Neymar. Neymars own move to Barca created implications for foreign academy players at the club by way of sanctions. While at Barca he became known as the Irish Messi and this led to a clamour in Ireland for photoshoots, updates, interviews and advertising, sponserhip, marketing ops for the young star.

When he left Barca he shortly thereafter signed for Liverpool academy in 2014 until 2019. Nothing media wise was reported on him since the Barca period but I'd imagine this was by design of his family who may have felt iwas better to let the hype die down and have him focus on his craft at such a crucial junction so he didnt just fall to another youth who never lived up to their potential and also avoid the distraction celebrity can bring.

In 2019 he signed for Blackburn, not too sure why he left Liverpool whether that was Liverpools decision or a concious decision to have him based somewhere where there would be a better opportunity to break through to the first team as at clubs like Liverpool and Man city it can extremely difficult to break into the first team as they more want the finished article international player transferred in at huge wages and transfer fees thus given academy players limited to no chance or breaking into the first team. Therefore moving to Blackburn would be a strewd move. He moved through the ranks, playing very well for Rovers scoring frequently and playing key roles in victories at youth level against all the top academies.

In May 2021 he signed his first professional contract, penning a 2 year deal. He hasnt made the first team bench yet but wasnt far off last season when he suffered an ACL injury ruling him out for the remainder of the season and this must have been a crushing blow at such an important time in his career. He has since come back and is again playing regularly for Rovers u 21s.

Unless he has signed a new contract with Rovers he will be out of contract in summer of this year 2023 which will show if Rovers have plans to play him or if not he can move himself to find first team football elsewhere, so although it would seem its a touch and go point in his career he would be able to decide his future himself as opposed to being left in reserves for a longer period. Who knows what he thinks or will decide but no doubt he, his team and family will again make the right and best decision for him and his career and take him to the next step and level in an already exciting career.

From an Irish point of view he has serious options but appears at the moment its a 2 horse race between Ireland and Australia. His parents are Irish as is he but obviously being born in Australia he has a serious connection to there too. He has played for both Australia and Ireland, Ireland being the most recently Ireland under 19s. A tough decision lies ahead of him on his International future but lets hope he chooses Ireland and breaks into the Rovers first team at some stage this season.

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Update 10/10/23

Made his cup & first team debut earlier this season and has appeared in same numerous times since.

Made his League debut for Rovers in their last match coming on as a sub.

Also a regular Irish U21s player now so hopefully that means he is seeing his future with Ireland and if he builds on Rovers debut season and starts playing week in week out hopefully will get capped for senior team required amount of times ending the debate of who he will play for Internationally at Senior Level

Coming Soon

Today we are talking about an 18yr old midfield/defender called Aji Habeeb who was born 22/02/2005 I believe and is currently with Atletico Paso in the 4th Division of the Spanish Pyramid which is called Secunda Federacion which is split into groups, Paso being in Group 5.

Prior to his move to Spain he was on the books of clubs like the Shamrock Rovers, Shelbourne & the reknowned St Josephs Boys. So his footballing CV was already of a high callibre in Irish footballing circles.

He joined Spanish side CD Atletico Paso on 1st of June of this year 2023 as an 18 year old on a free on a 1 year contract. El Paso is in the Canary Islands so weather wise he has great weather all year round. Of course hes there for football not the weather. As said Atletico play in the 4th Division of the Spanish Pyramid. They are currently 5th in there group in the Spanish 4th division with is made up of 5 groups, Paso being in group 5. So a great position to be in. Has already made his first team debut on 3rd of September grabbing a couple of minutes and been on the bench too but as of yet has not broke into the first team in earnest of as yet but hes only 18 and that will come. Being in Spanish Football itself is a great spot to be as he will be seen by other higher up Spanish sides, also in the Secunda Federacion there are lots of La Liga sides reserve teams which again will as a result see and be aware of him so its a very good shop window for him in the long term. Of course he will have to be playing and playing well for that to happen which I am sure he know and will be intent on doing. As said he is only 18 and starting off, so all on course as of now and time for that to happen, so its a very good place for him and his career to be as it stands. Very smart move whether its by design or not doesnt really matter, as it could prove to be very very good for him in the next couple of years and for now at 18 he just needs to knuckle down and do the work on the training field, take his chances when they come as they will come and focus on the next year or 2 with Atletico Paso without getting distracted and the rest will happen sooner or later within that 1 to 2 year period. Theres also a fair few Irish youngest who are also there at present like Fionn Mooney Vallidolid, Ryan Nolan Hercules, Kevin Toner La Nucia & John Patrick of Getafe who will all be thinking the same as Aji ie to, with no disrespect to the level, league and team they are at, using it as a stepping stone to where they want to be ie play to the highest level of football whether that be in Spain or another league and why wouldnt it happen, its a good plan and a very achieveable plan but you have to get the minutes & games in which the other 4 are doing and which Aji who is the youngest of all those Ive just mentioned will also be intent on doing in the very near future. Obviously dont know the details ie if hes signed an extension to his one year deal which if not would run until summer 2024, if hes any injuries keeping him out of the team at present that really just means he needs to get fit and show his worth, if hes injury free then as said hes only 18 and am sure hes impressing behind the scenes and just waiting for his opportunity and if so will no doubt renew that deal, if not the world is his oyster as hes free to speak to other interested parties in the coming weeks and will have already increased his contacts which he will already have in Ireland, to also contacts and leads in Spain and again hes only 18 so just starting out.

IF he is feeling pressure there really isnt any reason to as he is very much on course as it stands. He has already a wealth of experience under his belt playing in Ireland and now Spain, with top Irish clubs and mixed in the elite circles of the young up and coming Irish talent in whats becoming known as the golden age of Irish football, for example Naj Razi at his school side Tallaght Community College, has made his Senior first team debut in one of the top footballing league systems in the world ie Spain at only 18 years of age. He really is in a great spot whatever happens as his whole career is only starting and ahead of him. Am sure he and his family and team will continue to make more good choices and the future looks bright, exciting times lay ahead for him and Irish fans alike and as always whatever happens we ll be watching.

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Update 03/10/24

Leaves Atletico Paso after the expiry of his 1 yr contract, 1st July 2024 and is currently unattached.

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Update 27/03/25

Signs for Ytterhogdals IK in the Swedish 4th tier on the 1st of Feb 2025.

Today we are talking about Matt Healy, not to be confused with the 1975 lead singer of the same name he is a midfielder from Cork. Born 12th of April 2002 in Boston, he is from Riverstick in Cork, growing up there.

Started his career off locally playing for College Corinthians AFC in Douglas in Cork before moving to the academy of Ipswich Town FC on the 1st July 2018 as a 16 year old. There he worked his way up through the different age groups until going on loan to Cork City on 31st of January 2022.

This was the first of 2 back to back loan spells with Cork City where he was to get his first experience of first team football at senior level at the young age of 19. Signed by Cork city manager Colin Healy who is no relation to Matt but is also from Cork and also played for Ipswich back in 2009 to 11, it was a great plan for the 19 year old as he was playing first team football for one of Irelands big clubs where he also was from so had that support network and family around him too. First season, which was last season Cork were in the Irish First division and Healy was an integral part of the first team and helped them win the title and gain promotion back to the Irish Premier Division. He then resigned on loan to Cork on the 6th of January this year 2023 as a 20 year old for a 6 month loan spell until 30/06/23 ie midway through the Irish season, and again was a first teamer for them playing a vital role in the team. Indeed Cork really wanted to keep him as he performed great for them, scored some top top drawer goals but the loan was cut short when he was released by Ipswich without making a senior appearance. On the heels of this Cork were very eager to sign him up permanently. In total over his 2 loan spells he turned out 44 times, scoring 6 times in all competitions and was a main stay in the Cork team in the season and a half he was there and is a big loss to them.

He had other options however, and on 16th of July just gone signed for Royal Francs Borains on a 2 year deal. He got off to the perfect start scoring an absolute quality goal on his debut on 18th of July 2 days after signing in a preseason friendly against SAS Épinal a 3rd division French team in a 2-1 win for his new club. The Belgian 2nd division season starts for them on 13th of August, so 11 days time we will see how he starts but id imagine he will be a hit, like he was a top player for Cork City in the Irish Premier Division so youd imagine the Belgian 2nd Division will be a seemless step level wise as there wouldnt be much diference again talking about level not style of football which would be different from ireland and belgian leagues but again this would be another good move for him to ad to his skillset of the different systems and styles in different leagues.

Internationally he has played for various Irish underage levels but he has yet to turn out for the Senior team. Though doubtful he does have the option of playing for the US international team as he was born in Boston, and if he ever turned up in the MLS and hasnt been picked for the Senior Irish team perhaps this could be an option that arises but as of now youd imagine this is not something the young 21 year old irish man is even remotely thinking about and his focus is getting to the highest level at club level and in turn playing for the Irish Senior team.

He probably feels like he has a point to prove as Ipswich just got promoted to the Championship in England and he ll probably feel hard done by that he didnt get his chance there at the club when he did well but that set back is only going to stand to him and drive him on and make him more hungry with a point to prove especially to those he may envisage didnt think he was up to it and its a story that has been told by manys a top player in the past, they missed out at their first club and then excelled as a result and ended up far exceeding that level and going to the very top. He obviously could have stayed at Cork City who were very eager to keep him, and that would certainly been the easier road for him to take ie sign on for his home town club who play in the top division in Ireland and perhaps even just on a short term contract till the end of the season so he wasnt tied down but he chose the long game ie picking a belgian division 2 side. Although its the 2nd division in belgium he is in the shop window there and will be seen by not only the creme de creme of Belgium clubs in the Belgian top division who would be financially very well off but also on the continent its an easier access point to be scouted to another top league in Europe. In addition to top teams in top division in Belgium, Holland and France are only a stones throw too to name but a few but again very accessible by all leagues in Europe and also scouts from other big leagues around the world would have a scouting system in Europe so its a very shrewd move by the 21 year and his family and team. Again hard to miss out on the chance of playing for Ipswich but in hindsight he may look back on it as the best thing to ever have happened to him and his career. An exciting move and times ahead and whatever happens we ll be watching.

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Update 13/02/25

On the 14th of January Healy joined Irelands historically top side albeit not current champions of ireland they have been the best team in the LOI for a long time now and currently doing the best of any Irish team ever in the Europa Conference at present.  To me its a bit of a surprise cause usually when a player returns to LOI from abroad its because things arent going as well as they would have hope and its a rebuild or an end of their career type of thing but this is definitely not the case.  He was excelling in Belgium with Francs Borains, a consistent starter for them even scoring for them in the second last game they played in which he was also sent off hence the reason he didnt turn out for them in the last game they played before he left for Rovers, so he was highly thought of by the club and no doubt had a future in the top tier of Belgium Football if he had of stayed and perhaps he will return.  Rovers have lost a few players recently but to bring in a player of this status and in his prime on a 3 year deal shows intent and they still have a strong squad and will be again favourites for the league arguably even though shelbourne are the current champions and will also be a strong front runner too.   For the player its a great move which obviously means financial security too on a 3 yr deal, with european football with a club that will be hoping to win the irish league too for the peak 22 yr old and then perhaps in 2 years an opportunity for club and player to move for a good transfer fee abroad to a prime club that works for all parties.  imo this is the best loi signing of the season amongst a host of other great signings into the league in the past month or so.

Hi and welcome back to the Pod. Today we are talking about a 20 year old goalkeeper by the name of Noah Jauny. Born 26th of August 2004 in Dublin ie just gone 20, he started off at Home Farm at the age of 4. To those outside of Ireland Home Farm is an elite irish side whos youth ranks have been a pillar of Irish Football and a whos who of Irish former and current Irish Internationals have come through their ranks most famous perhaps Liam Brady, Johnny Giles and Ronnie Whelan.

At around the age of 12/13 he was spotted by Irelands historically top side and arguably biggest and best Irish academy Shamrock Rovers presently and went on to sign for them, after playing against them, no doubt he would have been on their radar already though youd imagine. There at the time was current Irish International and fellow goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu who a couple of years older acted as a mentor even at his own young age and they reamain in contact to this day.

This is where his heritage comes into play. 4 years later in 2020 at the age of 16 he signs for French top tier side Stade Brestois. There were English clubs in the mix, reportedly Everton amonst them, and of course he could have hung on with Rovers too, staying and progressing to first teamer with Irelands top club side isnt a bad option at all. But his dad is from France as you may have guessed from the surname. His dad is Stephane Jauny a former player himself who played in the League of Ireland in his day with clubs like Dundalk, Drogheda United, Home Farm Fingal, St Patrick’s Athletic and Limerick and who is now a commentator/analyist for ESPN and Fox, so Noah is steeped in football his entire life. This with made the transition to France much more easy an option for the youngster and more comfortable for his family then going to the UK. Like he would have a family and friends network there and was a french speaker of course. The main factor in the move of course was his talent above anything else just perhaps Brest may have missed out on signing the talented goalkeeper in the face of English club interest had it not been for the French Connection so to speak. What a great move it turned out to be to date, which wouldnt have been a surprise to anyone who worked with Noah as he moved through the Brest ranks and continually stepping up the levels. At Brest the now 18 yr old turned out 12 times missing only 2 games since his debut with the B side on 14th of Jan 2023 in the 22/23 season in the 3rd tier in France which is a great benefit to playing in France, Spain or Germany for example as there is access to the pro game in a lower tier with a reserve team of a top side which is a real advantage for a young player and that isnt the case in the England so much better for their own career and development while still having the pathway through to the first team and top tier. He has now stepped up to the first team squad proper. Obviously and always unfortunately for a goalkeeper there is only one spot in the team for them and keepers very rarely miss week in week out game time unless injured or significant drop in form and rarely substituted mid game then is the the case for an outfield player so chances dont come along as frequently then perhaps in other positions in the team. He is on paper 3rd choice goalkeeper but is very young by goalkeeping standards at time of writing only just gone 20. His goal and path is clear, become first choice keeper with Brest and this appears well on target and within his grasp. 3rd choice yes but again is he really 3rd choice if something happened the first choice keeper or if the first choice moved on at any stage Noah would be in prime contention for the first team numbe 1 jersey proper. The first choice keeper hasnt missed a game really for the last 3 seasons barring and the 2nd choice is 25 with not much first team game time himself, so when the opportunity comes it should be a straight shootout but perhaps with age and talent and international experience to boot it could be Noah who comes out on top and gets the nod. The other keeper vying for 1st choice also has U19 experience with France and is now 25.

Internationally he is born in Ireland and his mam is Irish as well and he has represented Ireland at U18s thus far. France is obviously one of the best international teams in the world and if they came calling it would be hard to turn that opportunity down. At Brest his nickname is the Irishman and that he is. The goalkeeping department in Ireland is actually probably the most competitive it has been in years if not ever and perhaps if he broke into the Brest first team in the near future in the French top tier he might get into the mix there quickly which would certainly be a major loss to Ireland.

Whatever happens his projectory is well on course and doesnt appear to be slowing down. Next step who knows but with such a wealth of experienced family and team around him and their combined knowledge of all aspects of the footballing world there will be a plan to get to the top and id imagine that will be in the not too distant future. His desire is Brest of course and again that is well within his grasp. Brest finished last season in 3rd so are currently in the Champions League so if he were to break into the first team soon he would straight away be high on the radar of Ireland and French International football and to note he was on the bench for their first Champions League game against Sturm Graz on the 19th of Sept ie just a week ago which was a 2 – 1 win for Brest. If it was me id be getting him into the Irish U21 side and Irish set up as a whole soon.

Today we are talking about a player called Ryan Johansson. A 22 year old midfielder born in Luxembourg who has represented Ireland at youth level.

He has had an interesting youth career and played in numerous countries already in his career. He started off at Racing Union a Luxembourg club. In 2015 as a 14/15 yr old he moved to French club Metz and then in 2017 as a 17 yr old he moved to footballing giants Bayern Munich becoming the first Irish player to represent them ever which even at youth level is a big achievement. It was while he was at Bayern that he made the online media in Ireland as the chance of an Irish eligible player playing for world giants emerged. Unfortunately however he didnt make it through to the first team for them and left in 2020 as a 19 year old for Sevilla, signing a 6 year deal, playing in the Spainish 4th division and for their reserve team. In the 19/20 season he only made 6 appearances and 20/21 9 appearences. He went on loan to Dutch top division side Fortuna Sittard in 21/22 season ie last season on a season long loan, however only made 6 appearances mostly from bench.

While he hasnt set the world alight for anyone yet in first team football, he is only 22 just gone 15th of feb and has experience in 5 different european countries and leagues Luxembourg, France, Germany, Spain & the Netherlands which can only put him in good stead and now just needs to break into regular week in week out first team football and then its full steam ahead.

On the International front he has options though because of his lack of first team football as of yet senior International football is a bit out of reach as of yet. He can and has played youth level international football for Luxembourg, Sweden and Ireland though had to fight to represent Ireland which shows hes committed to Ireland where his mam is from. As said he is a fair bit away from senior international football with Ireland and one would imagine Sweden is no longer an option but if he can get regular football somewhere soon then his career could click into gear and then Ireland or Luxembourg could happen. Either way im sure his career will continue to be interesting and imagine there will be more countries on his list too as he certainly aint afraid to travel perhaps maybe he would even give League of Ireland a go.

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Update 30 August 2023 Joined Freiiburg II, who play in the 3rd tier in germany and are the reserve team of the bundesliga team Freiburg.  although made the bench a couple of times for the 1st team in the bundesliga never appearing in the German top tier with them.  Played week in week out as a starter for Freiburg II though in the 3rd tier so probably the best season he has had to date in his career especially when it comes to playing time.

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Update 8th of July 2024 joins fellow german 3rd tier side SV Wehen Wiesbaden for the 24/25 season who were just relegated from the 2nd tier of the german pyramid.  youd imagine Wehen will be wanting to bounce straight back up to the 2nd tier and if he plays week in week out for them and they do achieve that goal of getting promoted straight back up it will be a good move as he will have established himself with the team and will then be in the 2nd tier of a major league in this case and just a stones throw away from the elite top tier league.  an important season for him and a smart move by both player and club.  obviously wehen looking to get tried and tested 3rd tier players in to help them achieve their goal of promotion out of the 3rd tier.  

Today we are talking about Liam Kerrigan, a 23 yr old player from Sligo who can play as a winger/midfielder and striker and plays for Como 1907.

He started off in earnest joining Sligo Rovers as a 15 year old in 2015 at Youth level. In 2018 he made his senior debut for Sligo Rovers as a 17 year old and turned out 11 times and in 2019 turned out 12 times for them all in Irelands top flight Premier Division which was great for such a young player.

On 22nd of July 2019 so mid season in Ireland he moved to UCD to go to college having being offered a scholarship and studying for a degree in Commerce. UCD were also playing in the Irish Premier Division, playing a total of 74 times and scoring 20 goals between 2019 and 2022 which basically spanned 4 seasons, although combined really more like 2 and a half seasons as he only signed mid season in 2019 in Premier Division, then 20 was interrupted by Covid & 21 in First Division was first full season and then 22 season back in the Premier Division leaving mid way through that season when he joined Como on 18th of July 22.

from a transfer point of view, UCD is a bit of an enigma as in players usually though not always play for UCD for the duration of their college course and once they finish their college they leave and wouldnt usually have a contract beyond that at that stage so no transfer fee comes into it which is obviously a very attractive prospect for potential club suitors who basically just have to agree a contract with the player with no transfer fee in the way as an obstacle to the deal being done.

5 Irish players joined Serie A in 2022 but it was arguably Kerrigan who had the best start albeit in Serie B making 4 appearances and scoring once until he suffered heartbreak of an ACL injury in September halting his progression and has sidelined him ever since. He started great having a good pre season and scoring, then being involved straight away in the League for the high profile Serie B side, progressing from the bench to scoring to starting but then unfortunately suffering the ACL injury. Como of course are in the picturesque famous area of Lake Como where he lives 15 minutes away and after Kerrigan joined Fabregas came on board as player/with a minority share in club shortly followed by Thierry Henry as also a minority shareholder. Denis Wise already involved as President so they have the notoriety and all at the club praising the young Irish player. His contract gives security that would probably not have been there at LOI level so although heartbreaking its better it happened after he signed for Como as he contract runs until 30 of June 2025 so there is no real pressure on him to rush his comeback and also has the support of the club who will also not want him rushed back and to do the recovery in the right way so he can fulfil his early promise. Como are currently 13th in Serie B with 2 games remaining so not the season they would have hoped for but one would imagine with the ownership and profile they will be looking for promotion to Serie A next season which should hopefully lead to a good exciting period and run for Kerrigan on his return should he pick up where he left off prior to injury and who knows perhaps in 12 months time he will hopefully be an established member of their first team and be a Serie A senior Irish International.

Regarding playing for Ireland, he had also just broke into the Irish U21 set up last year which was his foray into International set up at any level and doing well and playing 3 times and scoring, so things were taking off on the international front very very well. It was also prior to his injury so again a blow for him on the International stage but again he can now focus on his return to first team football and all going to plan will be looking to play for the senior side end of this year and or next year.

Younger brother is also a football currently in college in US so playing college football but was on books at finn harps and sligo rovers at youth level prior. Also his first cousin in Johnny Kenny who plays for Shamrock Rovers on loan from Celtic so football obviously in the family genes.

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Update 11/02/24

Moved on loan to Novara in 3rd Division in Italy to obviously get the game time in and come back better and strong next season to Como.  Como flying high this season, currently 3rd, so will this be in Serie B still or Serie A.  If he has a good loan here youd imagine hed be Serie B ready to hit ground running, if they get promoted to Serie A perhaps fringes again or a loan to a Serie B side who knows how this could all play out for him but game time will only push him forward in his career, just again horrible to get the injury he got last season after such a good start to his career at Como.

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30/06/24 Returned to Como following Loan with Novara in Serie C.  Como got promoted in his absence to Serie A so he is at a Serie A side now and hopefully he will stay & make an impact there this season in the top flight in Italy.

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30th of August 2024 signs on loan for Beveren in the Belgian 2nd Tier for the season for what would appear to be the last year of his Como contract.

Hi and welcome back to the pod. Today we are talking about a 21 midfielder from Tubbercurry, Sligo called Sean Kerrigan. Born 5th of July 2002, he started off playing for his local side Real Tubbercurry FC. 

From there he moved to premium LOI Premier Division side Sligo Rovers where he played at underage levels. 

On 1st of January 2021 the now 18yr old moved to Finn Harps for the 21 season. They were also in the irish premier division but youd imagine the end goal in the move was to break into the first team quicker then perhaps he felt might have happened at title contenders Sligo Rovers. With a couple of months left in the season and no first team appearances as of yet he decided to go a different route and move to college soccer in the US. Had he have gotten a decent amount of first team football at Harps perhaps he may have found that decision harder to make but for him it was really a win win situation. 

He comes from a footballing family his older brother Liam currently on the books of Serie B side Como, on loan at Italian side Novara. Also his 1st cousin is Celtic player Johnny Kenny who is on loan at Irish Champions Shamrock Rovers. So he has a lot of experience in his immediate family which is useful for them all to bounce ideas between themselves and their wider circles. As said Sean could have stayed in Ireland become a pro, played in the League of Ireland, moving through the levels domestically and or abroad but education is obviously something the family value and something they dont want to ignore which can come into use after their playing days are over in the distant future. His brother Liam had the same idea going to UCD where you can play football in the Irish league system while also getting a third level education at the same time which worked out well for him on both fronts. 

Ultimately Sean had the same idea albeit further a field in the US where on the 1st of September 2021 he joined Mercyhursts college side. While there he went on loan from 1st of May to first of August 2022 ie the college off season to USL League 2 side AFC Ann Arbor which although not strictly know as, id say is more or less the unofficial 4 tier in US football even though there is no promotion relegation at all in US football/soccer. 

After 2 years at Mercyhurst he moved from the D2 college side to D1 side Michigan State where he is currently since the 1st of August 2023. Will be interesting to see what he does in the summer ie next month now ie will he joined another side on loan take a well deserved break or something else. Id presume he ll stay for another season at Michigan State ie another and final year in colleage and then go into the MLS draft. Obviously he would have had and will have by then too options to come back to Ireland to play LOI football should he wish but being in US for 4 years he fancy his chances of getting into MLS by then. Hes had a fair bit of media too while at Michigan so with the talent, the marketability and the Irish factor combined its a winning combination. 

Of course the MLS and LOI wont be the only options and he may decide to do something completely different altogether perhaps move to Italy like his brother or UK like his cousin or as he has done already forge his own equally successful path and career in the footballing world.

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Update 13/02/25

24th Jan 2025 returns to Ireland with the Irish Premier Division side Galway Utd in the top tier of Irish football.  Youd imagine he will have had options to stay in the US perhaps with a USL side but coming back to top tier football may be the better option as it puts him in the mix in his career sooner then if he had stay in the US via the USL route or another option and at still only 22 Galway can get him ahead further then that route quicker in his career.  He himself will be back to put a first teamer of course and expect him to be pushing to that regard early doors.  A good season at Galway for him will only increase his options come this time next year ie Jan transfer window 2026.

Today we are talking about a 22 year old midfielder call Conor Noß born in Germany with an Irish mother. He started off at SG Kaarst from 2007-2008, for Sportfreunde Vorst from 2008-2009 and then in 2009 as an 8 year old moved to Borussia Mönchengladbach where he has remained ever since which is obviously a significant amount of time ie 14 years. He has represented their reserve team who play in the equivalent of the 4th division in German, and is currently turning out for them. He has also represented the first team who play in the bundesliga, germanys top division but has only 3 appearances, last of which was a substitute appearance in a 3-3 draw against Freiburg on 23 of April last year so almost a year ago. Obviously its great he is at a top German club but at 22 he really needs to crack on now and start getting first team minutes/appearances with Monchengladbach or if not go somewhere else so his growth doesnt get stunted. 22 aint old but he needs to establish himself now for his own career and im sure that is his plan. In July 21 he signed a 3 year pro contract with them which unless he has extended runs up to July 24, when he will be 23, so about a year left, but one would imagine next year is the key year for him. He has got to know if he is to make it at Monchengladbach that it is the summer and next season or else, even if they offer him a new contract, it may be best for him to seek pastures new. Marketabilitywise he has a big instagram following, and has an addidas deal so really has lots of appeal both on and off the pitch.

On the International front he was born in Germany as we said, his dad is German but his mam is from Dublin. To date he has solely represented Ireland at youth level both at U19s with 3 appearances and U21s with 11 appearances. The U21s is only a stones throw away from the Senior set up but still a significant leap. At 22 he is no longer a youth international and is a way off playing for either Germany or Ireland at the moment but all that could change in a heart beat if he started playing regularly for a Bundesliga side, so first team football is key and what is as of yet missing from his CV. Will he choose Ireland or Germany, you would imagine that if Germany comes calling it would be hard for him to choose Ireland over them but again a lot of ifs, if he starts getting first team football at a high level then who knows. He could break into the irish set up with a slightly lower level club career but Germany being who they are with the options they have would only be interested if he was tearing it up at the absolute top level. If he does start playing first team football, Ireland may be in the driving seat, if we acted quickly and could tie him to the Irish set up permanently but as of yet all is in play for this young midfielder. Will he be Ireland's first Bundesliga superstar, we shall see or another that superstar qualified for Ireland story.

Welcome back today we are talking about a 26 yr old born Irish defender who can also played defensive midfield called Maurice Nugent from Ennis in Co Clare. Starting off like most kids in Ireland he played a multitude of sports which included hurling which is probably the number one sport in Clare and GAA which he played to the very high level of Clare minor in tandem with soccer. To those outside of Ireland Hurling and GAA football are the 2 national sports of Ireland and arguably the most popular on the island. Back to soccer he began playing with his local side in Ennis, Avenue United FC at a very early age circa 5, progressing and learning his craft, staying with them up until the age of 14 a early sign of how loyal a player his was.

He then moved to top youth side St Josephs Boys in Dublin circa 2013 as a now 15 yr old which is a big deal for a 15 year old to move to the other side of the country and shows how serious he was thought of already and also how serious he was taking his football career at such a young age. To those outside of Irish football St Josephs Boys is a conveyor belt of top youth talent through the years with Mason Melia who just signed for Spurs being one of many to have been through their ranks to date. He stayed with them in dublin for a year which is completely understandable as its a long way to go in Ireland to play youth football outside of a Premier Division side imo, ie circa a 6 hour round trip.

Still only 15 he moved to Limerick Fcs youth set up which was at the time a top tier LOI Premier division side and a much more doable commute of circa 40 mins drive from Ennis. He stayed with Limerick FC for a season in their U16s and then joined Galway side Mervue United U19s who sit outside the Irish top 2 tiers (again to those outside of Ireland there is no official 3rd tier in Ireland its coming but not there then) but again a top side who previously were in the LOI top 2 divisions, last of which was 2013 in the First Division ie 2nd tier but left themselves as it was felt by the powers that be that Galway be represented by 1 club only and especially in Irish Youth football its one of the elite where at the same time as he was there future Irish Senior Internationals Aaron Connolly and Ryan Manning both similar ages to himself would also have been there, just to give an example of the pedigree he was mixing in. There he stayed again for a season, further learning and honing his craft

In 2014 the now 16 yr old joined Irish First Division ie 2nd tier side Galway United in their academy, going on to make his senior debut with them in 2017 as an 18 yr old. He briefly had a spells in the UK when he moved to London for work reasons outside of football with first Hendon in the English 7th tier on the 1st of Jan for the remainder of the 22/23 season turning out circa 11 times in all and Uxbridge FC again in the English 7th tier on the 1st of August 2022 until 1st of Jan 2023 when he re signed with Galway Utd for the Irish First Division 2023 season, so more or less in all was with Galway from 2014 until 2024 so a full 10 year stint more or less which shows the loyality and dedication of the player. In all he went on to represent Galway a total of 139 times with 12 goals to boot as a defender winning the Irish First Division title with them in 2023 ie the Irish 2nd tier and gaining promotion to the Irish Premier Division for the 2024 season where they did well and ended it in 5th spot, only 10 teams in the division yes but only 7 points off a European spot and 21 points off the relegation zone so very impressive for a newly promoted side.

A smart operator on and off the field, he could have left the footballing world behind in 2023/2024 and in fact had opportunities to move abroad with a job in the Uk in his professional career off the field in electrical engineering career but decided to stay and follow his footballing dream with Galway United in the 2024 season. A tough call really as it would have been a cross roads kind of decision for the player and one he admits himself was not for money as there was more money in going full time in an electrical engineering job then staying put with Galway. Obviously you can put things on hold off the field focus on your career but on the flip side sometimes the opportunities and financial side off the field can make you question your footballing aspirations especially if options off the field in the moment appear better for you. Of course you can defer until after your career but again appreciate this means starting your career off the field perhaps 10 15 years later then your colleagues so its a hard decision to make especially if youve put as much time into it as Maurice has in University and working in the electrical engineering industry in Ireland. Never the less he did follow his heart and stuck with the football and with Galway United whilst juggling and keeping a hand in the career off the field working around training and matches with circa 20 hours in the office so busy but shows his intelligence, determination, hard work, dedication to football and also in the long term thinking the player has.

On the 1st of Jan this year 2025 the then now 26 year old moved to Australia with 2nd tier side Green Gully SC and since his arrival has hit the ground running appearing in all 7 league games which is the first 7 games of the season, starting all, playing the entire 90 minutes and even stepping in to captain the side on 2 occasions end of feb beginning of march it appears. Green Gully sit 12th out of 14 in the first 7 games but a lot of games to play. Not a great start to the season for them but theres a lot of football to play as very early stages yet so who knows where they will end the season which runs similar to LOI from Feb to September so time frame will have suited Maurices football clock too. Obviously you imagine going there also was due to career options that may have been option to him in his eletrical engineering field too so probably working in that over there too and again balancing both football and an eletrical engineering job too. If season goes well for him as has started on the field there will be eyes on him from teams in the A League ie the top tier of Australian football which similarly to the MLS doesnt have a relegation or promotion system and if he were to be picked up by an A league side mid season or next season youd imagine at that stage he would probably have to take a hiatus from any job off the field perhaps.

Internationally he has represented Ireland at uiversity level in the past playing in 2 university world cups 2017 taiwan & 2019 italy in which he captained us.

Obviously to get to senior level he would need to be playing at a higher level club but although that may seem far away for some it definitely isnt something that couldnt happen in the future. If he got to the A league playing week in week out imo that means hes in the picture and at a sufficient level, unfortunately at present the irish management set up dont really take players from outside of Europe or even sometimes in mainland Europe into consideration and not enough credit is given to those performing outside the generic UK catchment which is a missed opportunity if you ask me. Regardless hes not in the A League or a similar level league as of yet but if things continue to go well theres no reason he wouldnt, couldnt and shouldnt be and therefore then be in contention for Senior Irish caps in the next couple of years all things being equal ie circa 28 which is peak years.

Having played at 2 International competitions for Ireland at University games in 2017 & 19, in the top 2 tiers of Irish football ie Irish Premier Division and Irish First Division being part of the champion winning side which gained promotion for the 2024 season, high level GAA football, a stint in the UK albeit in the 7th tier and now in the Australian 2nd Division where he has already been captain of the side in only his first 7 games with the club, been vice captain and captain at various different teams throughout his career showing how highly he is thought of and respected by both players and management alike, along with top players former and current irish internationals and circles in general hes mixed in, it is clear to see his pedigree on the pitch and clear he has not met his ceiling yet. He is only 26 so coming into his prime and clearly has more levels and step ups to go, where his ceiling is who knows. He is capable of making it to the top tier in Australia youd imagine in the next year or 2 and from there should be further options which he will probably factor in his very successful career off the field too into the picture so perhaps MLS or back to UK perhaps but of course with very lucrative deals in the middle east where he could also have excellent job offers off the field in tandem with his pro football career. Also if a big offer came he may go a different route all together and put the electrical engineering career on hold altogether for the time being but these are all future options he will have to contend with and its never bad to have options. For now he just needs to focus on his priorities at present and continue to excel on and off the field and the rest will happen as it happens and he will continue to make the best decisions for himself, family and career. A player coming into his prime and where he will go from here will be very interesting to see and continued success.

Today we are talking about 17 year old midfielder Naj Razi. Hes already well known not only by League of Ireland fans but also to casual football fans when last month his name was linked to interest from Real Madrid.

He was born 28th of October 2006 so just 17 a month ago. He currently plays for Shamrock Rovers, who are the dominant team in Ireland at the moment more or less for the past number of years, winning the league the last 4 seasons in a row and historically the most successful with 21 titles to their name to date. He initially joined Rovers as a 7yr old, his first coach was their now first team manager Stephen Bradley, he is highly thought of and the fact he has a close relationship with the manager for 10 years just shows the connection & what they both mean to each other and the club itselfs real belief and faith in the player. He made his debut coming on as a sub on the 23 of July this year 2023 for the first team in the FAI cup against Dundalk coming on as a xx minute sub. To date he has appeared 6 times for Rovers now, twice in Europe, 3 times in the League and once in the FAI cup. He made his first start for them on the 30th of October in Irish Premier Division game against Cork playing the entire match which was their second last game in the league season.

Internationally he is a current Ireland U17s player playing 14 times with 4 goals. Prior to that he turned out for the U16s making 11 appearances with 1 goal. He won the U17s player of the year award for Ireland this year 2023 and was pivitol for Ireland in getting to the quarter finals of the U17s European Championship 2023 which would have caught the eye of even more big clubs and their scouting systems who would all be at these tournaments looking for the young stars of the present and future. He also qualifies for Algeria through his parentage but youd imagine it would be Ireland that would be his preference. Just to note however you might think in Ireland, Ireland is better then Algeria but in the fifa rankings they are 30th and Ireland is 60th, and they would be a main stay in the African Nations Cup and have actually won it twice too, second time which was only 2 competitions ago in 2019 so they are a big side and perhaps there may be a big play from them for him in the not too distant future which giving the pull of playing in the African Nations Cup and competing for it and always being in the running to qualify for the World Cup too who wouldnt be tempted but hopefully Ireland have him wrapped up at Senior level before that becomes too much of a tempting option. In saying all that he has shown real dedication to Ireland, wouldnt appear he has any interest playing for anyone other then Ireland, and has as said turned out extensively for the Irish underage levels U16s & U17s and youd imagine this wont change and he will work his way through the ages groups and in next couple of years be turning out for the Senior side all going as is and according to plan which is great for Ireland of course as he has been a key player for us so far at Youth International level and our successes therein.

Reported interest is high in the just turned 17 yr old from UK in Man City, Liverpool, Arsenal & Chelsea and mainland Europe in Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid. Of course these are just the reported clubs thus far but there will be plenty of others as well. If Real Madrid put an offer down for him it would be hard for anyone to turn it down but as he is just breaking into the Shamrock Rovers side and gaining first team football that youd imagine wouldnt be the case imediately with Real. That with the fact he couldnt move to UK until he is 18, perhaps it would be the case that he and his team might decide to stay another season with Shamrock Rovers and getting more first team football under his belt, by which time they would have the UK path open too and then get the best move from everywhere available to him and his career being both financially and playing time as opposed to moving now and going to a big team yes but into the youths and perhaps having to bide his time to get back to touching distance of first team football which he has now at Rovers. Also the more competition there is the more bargaining power he has to improve the offers and chance for him personally. So while a Real Madrid offer may be hard to turn down if came now in January or near future, perhaps he may hold out for another season being involved with Rovers first team football which would work well for him personally. Whatever scenario happens he is in a great spot and all roads appear to lead to the top at this moment in time for him, and whatever happens we ll be watching.

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Update 11/02/24

Signs for Como 1907 1st of Feb 24 on a 2 and a bit year deal expirying 30/06/26.  No Bench appearance in first 2 games and appears he will start with their Primavera aka youth team.  Next season will see how he has progress and also if Como are in Serie B or Serie A then.  Good move for a 17 year old with lots of options and outcomes for him now and in the future.

Today we are talking about Dan Rose a 19 yr old goalkeeper who represents Ireland at youth level and currently plays college football in the US.

Born in England in December 2003 to an English father & Irish mother, he joined Man City as an 8 year old in 2012. He stayed there for 4 years until being released in 2016 as a 12 13 year old. At that age careers can be easily left behind in the dust but there is also many superstars who were dropped at young ages where it has the opposite affect and after thinking their world has ended but on reflection it spurs them on and is in fact the catalyst for their career.

From the disappointment of being released by City he signed for another big side Everton the same year 2016. There he developed through the ranks staying 4 years but at 16 looked for a move to German to continue his progress and career. Everton had an offer on the table to stay but he wanted to move and specifically to Schalke. For such a young player of 16 at the time it shows a real maturity and intelligence. Your talking about a player who is well aware of the fact that clubs look out for their best interest but that is not always the best option for the player, hence why he turned down extending his stay at Everton to go to Schalke who he and his team deemed to be better option for a goalkeeper to develop as exampled by German Internationals Neuer & Lehmann.

The move to Schalke was on the verge of collapse due to various reasons most prominently Covid. Everton were also due compensation, reportedly 120k sterling, as Rose had turned down staying on and as being a young player meant that also needed to be agreed before any move could go through. In June 2020 he finally moved to Schalke but only after Rose had personally sent a text to the Schalke negotiator to resurrect the move which was sent to Schalke directors who obviously liked what they heard and showing how much he felt this was the right move for him and his career and how much he also wanted to move to the club.

After 2 and a half years at Schalke on 17th of December he signed for Marshall Thundering Herd a college team in the US at Marshall University. On the face of things it would appear an unusual move and one would normally imagine that things didnt work out at Schalke but in this case I would not be so sure this is the case and perhaps may in fact be a a very precise shrewd move. Firstly you have the fact that he has an already extensive educational background and with a family emphasis on it too, secondly it may be a move again which in football terms is best for him as opposed to what is best for the in this case Schalke and which can hopefully sooner rather then later lead to first team football for the 19 year old via the MLS draft in December of this year. First team football is always hard and key to get for a young player coming up but even more so for a goalkeeper as chances, playing time and spots at teams are limited to one or at best 2 keepers per club. Obviously that would have been hard to achieve for any 19 year old at Man City, or Everton, at Schalke the opportunities may have been there sooner perhaps from looking at their side at a glance and me not really knowing much about them in detail so I could of course be way off even still they do have a lot of keepers at the club and to break into the first team squad may have been 2 to 3 years off perhaps. So going to college football in the US and then furthering your education with the option of getting drafted in a year seems very viable. MLS also has a good record for keepers but one would imagine that would be a level that Rose could compete at now with his background and pedigree to date.

Internationally he can play for Ireland via his Irish mother, also England of course and who knows perhaps if he was in the US long enough he could get a spot there too via residence if he wanted to to that route. All ifs and maybes at this moment in time of course but so far he has solely represented Ireland internationally at youth level and extensively at that. He has represented Ireland at U15, U16, U17, U19 & U21. His, last and only U21 appearance was in June of 2021 in a friendly against Denmark but he's only 19 so plenty of time to add to that. Of course he has a lot of road to make up if he was to come anywhere near getting the senior irish jersey as that is probably the one position in the whole irish team that has an abundance of talent with number one done and dusted at present by Bazunu, followed hotly by Kelleher and Travers with others in the wings. Who knows what the future holds of course and a couple of years down the line the whole landscape may have changed but with Bazunu only being 2 years older then Rose it would appear he is in pole position for a long long career with Ireland as number 1. Rose being only 19 is obviously young for a player but particularly for a goalkeeper who tend to have come into their career sometimes later and also continue to an older age again in general so theres a good 20 year ahead of this guy and no doubt sooner or later he will get the first team experience and come through at what level and which league we will see but again who knows he could be a serious contender on the goalkeeping front for club and country in the next couple of years. One to watch and good luck to him in the US.

Welcome back to the pod. Today we are talking about a 19 yr old midfielder from Wexford. Growing up he played both GAA for his local team Monageer-Boolavogue, Minor GAA for Wexford whilst also playing football with Shamrock Rovers AFC of Enniscorthy and also as part of a success school team Enniscorthy CBS. Like many he was a dual player growning up and in fact was flown back in for a cup final match for Monageer Boolavogue in 2022 which they won and he was man of the match. Theres a good chance he could have played senior GAA for Wexford had he stayed put in Wexford.

In August 2020 he went on trial and later having completed school exams in Ireland signed for the Chesterfield FC academy. Since there he has done well for there them in their youth ranks and in the last year has been a stand out for the Chesterfield U23 with lots of goals and assists to his name. He also appeared as probably an emergency one match loan at Non League side Dearne & District in 11th tier of england, where he obviously stood out and won the man of the match award in November last year 2023 each side of which he turned out again for the Chesterfield U23s.

On 13th of January this year 2024 he made his first team debut for Chesterfield in the FA Trophy. To note its a very strong Chesterfield who have just won the National League which is the 5th division in England, and therefore promoted back to the EFL and by a 12 point margin, so he is now at a 4th division ie league 2 side where if he impresses now on this loan he will be returning inform and match fit compared to the rest of the Chesterfield squad and will be in with a real shout of getting more first team football with Chesterfield in League 2 in just 4 months time which just lines up perfectly tbh.

In April Ben, along with 2 fellow Irish and Wexford men, who we will also being doing pods on in the next 2 weeks, made the exciting and unusual move to the Norwegian league with Bergsoy IL who play in the Norwegian 4th Division, the 5th tier of Norwegian football. Appears to be an idealic setting from what i see on line. The season in Norway runs from April to November time, so just started and Ben joins on a 6 month loan so will be back with Chesterfield circa September time unless extended to the benefit of all parties including himself. Bergsoy are currently mid table but as said season has only started and they are about 3 to 4 games in so far. Ben himself has already some assists to his name which he will further add to along with goals as the season and his loan progresses.

Like most pros would want the summer off but seeing hes at such a young age and just starting off his pro career in earnest now he wont mind at all at all and it will only benefit him at this stage and should put him in with a great chance to be amongst the first team in the League 2 on his return to England ie hitting the ground running with match fitness on a par if not slightly ahead of the rest of the Chesterfield first team squad. He will also have vital first team experience and further honed his craft in Norway to boot. Clear hes willing to do whatever it takes to make it as a pro and thats the one quality you cant teach. Of course if all goes according to plan in Norway it will only widen opportunities and interest in him from Norway, Scandinavia, the UK, Ireland and potentially further afield so its a great opportunity for him and his career, one which im sure he will grab with both hands and excel in.

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Update 27/03/25

Has signed with SK GJovik Lyn in the Norwegian 4th tier for the 2025 season, so has moved up a tier as was in the 5th tier with Bergsoy last year/season.

Today we are talking about John Ryan a defender from Limerick. Hes 19 and one of a growing number of young irish players in Italy. There has been a lot said about most of them but not much about John to date. He is a left back at present, also can play on right and started his career at youth level for his local side in Limerick, Aisling Annacotty. He also has a background in GAA football for Limerick sides in Ballybricken and Monaleen as well as for the Limerick primary schools Gaelic football team, all of which would have helped him develop as an athlete. In 2017 as a 13 year old he started playing for St Kevins Boys who you will know are a renowned school boys team who have a long history of developing players who have gone on to have substantial careers at the highest level most famous of which was Liam Brady who also had a long career in Italy and also more recently current star striker for Ireland and Brighton in the Premiership, Mr Evan Ferguson. Its a good long drive from Limerick to Dublin so not sure if he moved to Dublin at that stage or if his family and him commuted several times each week to help him improve and develop either way it was a great opportunity for him. He stayed there for just one season and then was went to Shamrock Rovers academy in 2018. There he stayed for 3 years playing for their youth teams, improving and made 11 appearances for their reserve team who played at various levels in Irish football and the Irish First Division ie the 2nd division. Shamrock Rovers would have obviously wanted to keep him but it would appear he wanted first team football and also education was at a crucial point in his life. On the first team football point unfortunately for Shamrock Rovers reserve team they were unable through, no fault of their own, to compete in the first Division as their spot was taken by Treaty Utd. Shamrock Rovers first team being a top team in Ireland perhaps couldnt promise him first team starting football so he bravely left Rovers and moved to UCD in 2022. As said education was a priority in his life too which no doubt played into that move too. He made 22 appearances for UCD in all competitions in the Premier Division ie top division in Ireland and completed his Leaving Cert to boot and then at the age of 18, as an already accomplished player in Ireland now, moved to Serie A in Italy with Sassuolo in September of last year 2022 and their academy it would appear on a one year deal with an option to extend for a second year. Impressive to say the least and total justifying him leaving Shamrock Rovers and showing wise decision making and master stroke movement throughout his career from the very start in Limerick to present day. If correct a one year deal would seem perhaps a bit up in the air but if u ask me really thats a win win situation as as a 19 year old you wouldnt really want to be initially signed up on a long contract and then find out your opportunities are limited or they arent pushing you to the limits u can go. Therefore he could in theory decide its not a right fit for him after a year or 2 and then move elsewhere freely to suit his own career. Alternatively he could, after having a good look around and assessing the move, decide its a perfect fit for him and sign a long term contract at the end of this or next season or even have interest elsewhere which strengths his negotiations, bargaining power, terms and chances for himself at Sassuolo should he wish to stay.

On the International front he has also had an extensive career with Ireland throughout youth level representing us at U15, U16, U18 & U19 level and will undoubtedly continue to move the ranks and looks a shoe in or as certain as anything can be in life, to go the whole way at club and Senior International level with Ireland.

Why is there no interviews, or major headlines or media attention on him to date, who knows but its either a smart move on his and his teams behalf to keep the light off him so he can focus on the important thing ie his football and avoid any unwanted distractions of celebrity or fame. Or could it be that its just a case that of all the Irish that are now in Italy, Sassuolo are a team that wouldnt be historically known well in Ireland. However they are a top flight team in Italys Serie A and have been for circa 10 years and are currently 12th out of 20 teams, with 2 current Italian internationals and other Internationals of other countries sprinkled throughout their squad. They are also no where near getting into a relegation battle so are in no danger of leaving Serie A anytime soon.

In keeping with the rest of his career to date the move appears to be perfect for him and his career and no doubt will give him further opportunity to progress and climb to even higher levels which he has already achieved as an impressive just turned 19 year old. A career to watch and develop into a Serie A star whether that be with Sassuolo or beyond in the coming years.

Welcome back to the pod. Today we are talking about an 18 yr old defender called Ivan Savshak born 1st of June 2005.

He started out with amatuer side Quay Celtic FC in Dundalk, Warrenpoint Town beside Newry in their youths their senior team is currently a 2nd division/tier team in the Northern Ireland League Pyramid, then abroad as a circa 15 yr old with KZ Dyussh Karpaty Lviv in their youth set up in the Ukraine in 2020. Karpaty Lviv senior team are again a 2nd division/tier team in the Ukrainian league pyramid.

On 1st September 2021 aged 16 he moved to Hungry joining the youth set up of Honved whos senior side were at the time in the top division in Hungry.

On 1st Jan 2023 aged 17 he moved again to Polish football with Gornik in their youth set up. Gorniks senior side are in the Polish top division.

He has now joined Italian side Livorno on the 5th of August 2023 last year on what would appear to be a 1 year deal expiring at the end of the season 30th of June 2024 for his first foray into Senior first team football. They are in the Italian 4th tier and currently in 2nd so could get promoted to Serie C, so if this happens he could in theory sit tight for another season planting roots unless he gets the opportunity to jump further up the ladder in the summer with someone else. To date hes made 10 appearances for them 9 in the league and 1 in the Coppa Italia. Hes alot of minutes in those 10 appearances just to say so not just a few minutes here and there which perhaps might mean hes had a few injuries to date which have kept him out of the team?

Internationally he has represented Ireland 4 times at U17s level in 2022 in squads with other big names in Irelands exciting youth system at present who currently play at different age groups right up to the U21s and sure to be Senior Internationals in the coming months years, names like Sam Curtis, Justin Ferizaj, Daniel Negry McGrath, Senan Mullen, Mason Melia, Cathal Heffernan, Kevin Zefi, Ike Orazi & Naj Razi to name but a few.

He also qualifies for Ukraine through birth I believe so no doubt they have also been impressed as well by him, his projectory, dedication to his craft and determination to progress and make it.

You can see he isnt afraid to think outside the box, make tough decisions and he is progressing the whole time. Like he went from youth football at amatuer side Quay Celtic FC in Dundalk to now senior football in the Italian 4th division a 6 club 5 country journey and each club & set up a long the way has been a step up from the previous, so again expect him to make another step up in the summer from Senior football in the italian 4th division. Hes only 18, isnt tied down to a long term deal so can move without the restriction of being stuck in a contract and no transfer fee being applicable so youd imagine his next move will be to finish the season well and then again make another move at a higher level whilst maintaining the essential ingredient of first team senior football. Very smart moves by him and his team and you can see where he is going and what hes doing, not limiting himself to one league or region. Expect his next move to be again first team football next season at a higher level maybe with Livorno if they get promoted to Serie C or another team. Impressive stuff, great situation to be in and a great blue print to any other young pro making his way in the game. A lot of levels to go for this guy and the hard work and dedication on show is top notch.

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01/07/24

Leaves Livorno in Italian 4th tier.  Not sure why he is left as he had a fairly good spell here, playing regularly enough and at only 19 is only getting better, perhaps injury, perhaps couldnt agree terms money wise with Livorno or perhaps he has better offers elsewhere. we shall see soon enough.  

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Update 16/02/25

15th Jan 2025 after being out injured, he signs for Italian 4th Tier side Orvietana on a 1 and a half year deal running until June 2026. After he successful break out season last season being out for the next 6 months without a club would have been a bitter pill to swallow but he is back now in exactly the same spot he was in and if he does the same as last season with what he learnt to date, as well as the tough lessons he will have subsequently learnt from the 6 months out the time is now to push forward. Still only 19 he has his whole career in front of him and while it doesnt appear he has yet made an appearance for his new team as of yet on the pitch or on bench youd imagine this is due to his 6 month lay off, getting back his match fitness and perhaps lingering injury thats still keeping him out. Fact they have given him a year and a half deal perhaps shows they appreciate he wasnt going to hit the ground running initially in light of the above and get him a few minutes between now and the end of the season, then a full preseason injury free and back to his best for next season ie 25/26 season. They are currently 7th in Group E so with a good run etc going their way they could yet make a promotion play off spot come season end and who knows he could be a Serie C player in a few months if so. Either way a great spot to be in for the 19 yr old who turns 20 in the summer.

Welcome back to the pod. Today we are talking about a 17/18 year old goalkeeper called Patricio Schroeder. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina to an Argentian father and Irish mother from Derry he started his career off at the age of 5 with Buenos Aires team Club Atletico Pasteur who play in a regional league in the Province of BA at various age groups.

In 2021 as a 14/15 year old he moved to Academia Javier Macherano which as you will guess by the name is affiliated with former Argentinian International and Barcelona Liverpool River Plate amongst others player and current Inter Miami manager Javier Macherano so by default its a highly thought of and famous youth academy in BA & Argentina of recent so a great sign of where the player was at such an early age, where he was going and how highly he was thought about already.

He stayed with them until February of last year 2024 when as a 16/17 yr old he joined Argentinian top tier side Club de (Him nasia) Gimnasia (e) y Esgrima La Plata. (Him nasia) Gimnasia of course was the team the greatest player of all time Maradona was managing at the time of his death in 2020. To date he has represented the reserve team and trained with the first team and will an opportunity turn up this season with the first whether that be on the bench or with minutes who knows. 7 of first team have at one stage or another come through the youth ranks so there is a clear and proven path from their academy to the first team. Currently they have 3 goalkeepers one on loan, and one again who came through their academy who are both 28 & 29, in addition they have a 3rd who is a new 25 year old goalkeeper just after signing on a free so 3 keepers in total in their first team squad and with that said looking from the outside in and with very limited knowledge of the club, the number 1 spot doesnt appear to be nailed down by any one player at present so perhaps in the future there may be an opportunity for someone to stake a claim to that number 1 jersey and whos to say that couldnt be Patricio, at least youd imagine if there is any injuries during this season an opportunity will be there for a keeper from the youth/reserve set up to step up to the bench and from there your only one step away if the opportunity presents itself which again can happen due to form, injury or illness and if an opportunity does present itself during the season he will be ready to strike and step in/up seemlessly, ready and waiting. The Argentinian season has only just started and is just 3 games in and runs until December of this year ie Jan to Dec so alot of football from now until then. Patricio is only new in his career and at the club too but has already impressed and captained at reserve level so he is clearly impressing the right people in the management set up there.

Internationally as mentioned at the offset of the pod he can represent Ireland as well as Argentina at international level with his mum from Derry and at the young age of still only 17/18 he could do that at youth level initially at various age groups when the opportunity arises and again internationally has options which is always nice.

Going forward hes in a great spot and perfectly positioned to strike when the first team football opporunities arise whether that be at Gimnasia, another Argentinian club on loan or permanent or elsewhere in South America, Europe or England with all options as he can move any of those regions at ease due to holding Argentinian, Irish and UK passports. The only question is when and where his first team football opportunity will arise, for now he just needs to keep doing what hes doing which he will and the rest will follow.

Hi and welcome back to the pod. Today we are talking about a 15yr old Irish defender/left back called Finn Sherlock. Born 4th of July 2008 in Cootehill, Cavan, he started playing locally with Cootehill Harps while also playing GAA for St Aidans Cootehill & Cootehill Celtic GAA as well where he was/is a talented player, GAA to those outside of Ireland is Gaelic Football different to soccer.

Circa 2022 he showed how serious his footballing aspirations were by joining Dublin side Shelbournes academy. Shelbourne senior team are of course currently top of the Irish Premier Division and managed by former Irish International Damien Duff. To put into perspective dublin to cavan is circa an hour and a half so a good 3 hour commute on a good day, so to go to training and matches several times a week like that shows severe committment from him at only 15 and also his family as well to support him which im sure he will repay in the future.

He hit the headlines again last month when it was reported that he will, on his birthday ie 4th of July when he turns 16, be moving to German Bundesliga side Hoffenheim with a deal between player and clubs agreed. There he will of course join his fellow Irish Youth International Matthew Moore who has been excelling in their youth team thus far. Hoffenheim first team just finished in 7th this season just missing out on 6th on the final day of the season in the Bundesliga so they are a top top side.

Internationally he has represented Ireland extensively at U15s, u16s & 1 u17s appearance so far. He will clearly push on, move through the levels and age groups with Ireland before all going according to plan makes the breakthrough with first team football and then into the Irish senior side set up.

Captaining at club and country youth level he clearly has qualities that everyone reckonises and is respected by his piers who look up to him as a role model on and off the pitch.

Hoffenheim have a clear path for youth right through to their first team, with at least 7 of their current first team squad coming from their academy, so this could be the case for Finn and Matthew too in a few years time and wouldnt it be great to see 2 Irish Bundesliga Senior Internationals at the same team in the not too distant future excelling for both club and country at the top level in football.

Hi and welcome back to the pod. Today we are talking about a 27 year old winger from Leixlip called Olamide Shodipo. Born 5th of July 1997 in Leixlip, he moved to London aged 2 with his family.

He started playing in earnest when he joined the youth ranks of QPR side in 2012 as a 14/15 yr old. He excelled in their academy and 4 years later he made his Senior debut as an only 19 yr old on the 7th of August 2016 in the Championship ie the English 2nd tier in a 3 nil win over Leeds. To note his debut was a token few minutes at the end of the match but in the starting line up and at the start of the season so shows how much he was thought of by QPR and manager at the time the legend Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink. By November he had signed a new 2 & a half year deal keeping him at the club until 2019 so again he was highly thought of as a future star which manager had noted he would be in and around the team going forward. From his debut on 7th of August 16 until Jan 17, he made 11 appearances, was a regular first team member and when not playing was mostly always on the bench for match day squads and clearly was going places.

However a new manager came in and as happens he wasnt going to be in his immediate plans and therefore in Jan 2017 went on loan to Port Vale who were in League One ie 3rd tier, still a great spot to be in for a 19 year old although he will have no doubt been disappointed but not a terrible spot to be in and still very much so in the plans of QPR but yes a small set back for him for the time being. In all he turned out 6 times for Port Vale and would have made more had he not been ruled out for rest of season with an injury he picked up while on International duty with Ireland U21s in March 2017 of unfortunately.

Over next few years he made several other loans to League One and Two, kept coming back, playing on and off with QPR in between, had his more then fair share of injuries but most tellingly kept getting contract extensions and was highly thought of by QPR eg QPR Director of football and footballing legend Les Ferdinand. His loan spells were Colchester Utd League Two 6 appearances, Oxford United League One which was a fairly prolific spell with 39 appearances & 10 goals, Sheffield Wednesday League One 15 appearances & 1 goal again injuries limited his playing time here, Lincoln City 20 appearances & 2 goals following which he was released by QPR at the end of his contract in July 2023.

It is clear that injuries were the reason his QPR career ended, he had the talent but was just terribly unlucky to get so many injuries.

He was without a club for a few months after he left QPR which must have been a low point for the now 26 yr old. He did join Lincoln City again on a permanent basis but on a short term contract on 6th of October until 5th of Jan turning out 6 times and one goal. Reason it was a short term contract was he was cover for 2 of their injured and notable longer term contracted players so although he did turn out 6 times out of 17, he was on the bench too but other factors would have come into play, firstly they had already 2 players under contract that they wouldnt have simply been able to just move on if they though he was better so they would have been stuck with that extra wageroll which is never ideal at a 3rd tier side, also coming in in October he would have not been as match fit as he would have liked through no fault of his own, and also by them knowing he was only a short term fix they wouldnt have been as invested in playing him and giving him more opportunities then other players they knew were already there like they have players there already so they need to get them back into the picture and getting them match time etc is key which does make sense for the club but unfortunately makes it harder for Olamide to break into the team fully and get a long term deal with the club. So as said as a result he left on 5th of January this year 2024.

Again still only 26 but still he was 26 hes at a cross roads in his career and in the space of 6 months hes without a club for the second time which is going to hit anyone hard and a tough place to be for anyone but he didnt give up and decided to go further a field and broaden his horizon clubwise and why shouldnt he like he clearly was at QPR, a championship side, for so long because he was highly thought of for what he could do on the field and the only reason he isnt still there or above is because of injury issues that happen to everyone to varying degrees and in his case more then others.

So just weeks after leaving Lincoln, on the 30th of January this year 2024 he made the exciting move to Portugal with 2nd tier side CD Feirense on what i believe is a year and a half contract ie until June 30th next year 2025 and to date has played 14 times out of 17 games with 2 goals and involved in all of their matches since his arrival with the exception of 3 games, 2 where he was on the bench and one not in the squad so youd imagine there was some minor injury to account for those 3 games. Feirense finished the season in 16 position in Liga Portugal 2 and went into a relegation playoff which they won over 2 legs and which he played in both.

Feirense played their first game of the season last weekend just gone on 11/08/24 but he wasnt in the matchday squad, dont know why but hopefully nothing serious and just a minor injury.

Internationally he has represented Ireland at U19s and U21s a combined 10 times with 1 goal and mixed in good circles therein, so he will know where and with whom he belongs. He is also eligible for Nigeria and youd imagine England through residency too. So all he has to do now is do it on the pitch, focus on the now and the rest will fall into place as the skillset is there.

Its a great place to be in for the now 27 year old, as if things go well he could extend his stay, move to a bigger club in Portugal, move back to the UK or even somewhere else in Europe as there will in fact be more european scouts looking at him and competition will be high. Its also far enough away where he can focus on his game away from distractions that would be there if you were at home. Focus he has and hard work he has, game time and match fitness will continue to develop further, and by default this will eleviate injuries and also coming into his prime with the experience of having the bad times and injuries and knowing better what works for and more importantly against him and in turn avoiding same. The initial 4 months ie feb to may of this year would have been a bedding down period but now he will have that and all the other experiences he has had in his career to date behind him and perhaps for the first time in his career will have a summer & preseason where there is no uncertainty and he knows what the season ahead entails and where he will be. He now just needs to focus, play week in week out and show exactly the type of player he is and he and others know to a wider audience. He is 27 yes but also only 27 and could easily have another 10 years with the bad times in the rear view mirror and with a minor reset on his career the opportunities are really limitless. The past is the past and the future is the future but the time is now.

Deji Sotona is a 20 year old winger /forward born in Waterford growing up in Mullingar where he joined local side Mullingar Athletic.  He also was a member of running club Mullingar Harriers which is relevant to his career too as he is known as an extremely fast player.  As a young runner he picked up several provincial and national sprinting medals. 

As a 13 year old he joined Man Utd academy in 2016, playing at various youth levels and was highly thought of and while there was recorded as being the fastest player at the club out of everyone including the first team players beating people like Rashford which is obviously a testiment to his running club days.  In 2020 after 4 years at Utd he was offered a new 3 year extension to his contract but turned it down obviously having fate in his ability which would warrant better contract terms and first team chances elsewhere.  He left Utd in September 2020 and signed with OGC Nice who were managed by Patrick Vieira.

When signing for Nice he had been promised first team football which was a key reason he signed but unfortunately Vieira was sacked a few months later in December and as often happens a new manager had different ideas.  He went into the reserves at Nice.  Not much heard about him until just over a year later when he made a loan move to Brentford in January 2022 on a 6 month deal, primarily with their B team.  He didn't make any appearances for the first team & returned to Nice in the summer.

On 09/08/22 he signed on loan for Scottish Premiership side Kilmarnock on a season long loan but only made 2 appearances both as a substitute and returned to Nice in January just gone 2023.  He signed for Burnley, specifically their academy, on 30/01/23 just gone with 6 months left on his Nice contract.  Burnley, who are managed by Vincent Kompany, are currently top of championship with a 13 point lead so a real good chance they will be back in the premiership next season which could be a great move for the player if he can bed down well now and then make a breakthrough into first team squad next season in the premiership.

On International front he can represent Ireland, Nigeria and England but to date has just represented Ireland at U15s and U16s.  It would appear his last cap for Ireland was at U15 level in 2017.  He was called up for an U20s fixture in March of last year 2022 but it would seem he was not released by his club for the fixture.

Although to date he hasnt had much opportunities of first team football which is what he is looking forward, that may change if he can settle in at Burnley, who have a young squad and then next season either break into their first team squad or go on loan to a championship team perhaps.

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Update 11/02/24

Joined Boston Utd in english 6th tier on 24th of Nov 23 until end of season.  has played regularly since.

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25th June 2024 moved to Eastleigh in the English 5th tier on a permanent basis

Welcome back to the Pod. Today we are talking about a 20 yr old striker from Dublin called Onesime Tembe. Born the 14th of Sept 2004 he comes from a footballing background with his dad being a player in Congo and his cousin Glory Nzingo currently playing for Swansea City.

He started off in earnest with Esker Celtic around the age of 7. From there he went on to play with an impressive list of whos who of youth sides Esker to Liffey Valley Rangers, then onto Saint Francis for a year, then onto cherry orchard for 2 and then to crumlin united for a year and a half, before in July of 2022 at the age of 17 he joined the youth set up at Irelands top side Shamrock Rovers where he excelled through the ranks.

He impressed so much at Rovers that on the 13th of March he made his Senior debut turning out for Rovers in the Quarter finals of the Leinster Senior Cup. However with no further first team football in the 2023 season with Rovers, this taste of Senior football would have shown him how close he was and would have made it hard to go back to the youth set up and wait for his next chance at Senior level.

As a result on the 1st of Jan 2024, so for the 2024 season, the now 19 yr old made the switch from Rovers to their Dublin rivals Bohemians, initially joining their U19s set up. Again he turned out at Senior level with Bohs with 3 appearances in the Leinster Senior Cup in January and Feb of this year.

With turning out for the Senior sides of 2 of Irelands historically top sides, he could have stayed on, biding his time before breaking into the senior set up with Bohs or with someone else in the LOI but shows the intent of the player that he felt the time was now and rightly so to push on for senior football now and not wait until the start of the next season in Ireland ie Jan of next year.

He therefore, on the 5th of September just gone 2024, signed an almost 3 year pro contract until 30th of June 2027 with Danish Division 2, which is the 3rd tier in Denmark, side Akademisk Boldklub who are also known as simply AB. There he has hit the ground running playing 4 times thus far 3 in league and 1 in the cup ie all their matches since his arrival. The Danish league is different to other scandanavian leagues in that they play same timeframe more or less to that of UK and most of Europe ie August to Mayish time. They are currently 8th in the league after 9 games at time of recording but by time of this going out will have played 1 more game. Obviously a good season in Denmark would bring him to the attention of bigger teams in Denmark, Scandanavian and Europe as a whole and that will be the goal.

Internationally he has not turned out for Ireland as of yet at any level but again he is only 20 and if he has a good season who knows where he could end up as the ceiling is endless and he is only starting off his senior game and how quickly a player can move up the levels in their career and then who knows. He is also eligible to play for DR Congo and also Congo which is a separate footballing nation too. DR Congo is 58 in the Fifa rankings and Congo 117. to note ireland is 62th in the Fifa rankings at the moment. So he has options and future choices at International level as well as club level.

For the moment however he just needs to focus and build on the great start he has had at club level and the future choices will come as they are meant to. Going from playing at U19s level in LOI to playing in the pro game in the space of weeks has been taken in his stride with ease so fully expect him to continue to move up the levels in the next year or so and push on further and who knows where and what position he will be in his career at that stage. He is making the tough decisions, pushing himself out of his comfortzone and all at the very young age of just gone 20 which is very impressive to say the least. Congrats on all to him and his team and continued success.

Today we are talking about Kevin Toner a 26yr old central defender who currently plays for La Nucia in the Spanish 3rd division season just gone now relegated to 4th division for coming season.

Born on the 18th of July 1996 in Ashbourne, Co.Meath he comes from a sporting family with his dad a former pro footballer who played for drogheda and shelbourne in league of ireland and also with Mansfield in england, his mother a golfer and Uncle a jockey.

He started his career at local team Ashbourne Utd, and from there went to top youth side Home Farm as a 13/14 year old in 2010. Home Farm is another club that historically has been a conveyor belt of talent with names such as Kenny Cunningham, Richard Dunne, Gary Kelly, Ronnie Whelan and Johnny Giles to name but a few.

In 2012 as a 16 year old he left HF to sign for Aston Villa. He stayed at Aston Villa for 5 years working his way through youth levels and going on to represent the first team albeit just 4 times in the Premiership.

While at Villa he made 4 loan moves which got him valuable first team senior football and experience. Loan spells while on the books at Aston Villa included Kidderminister Harriers, Walsal, Bradford City & Stevenage. All loans were brief enough, at a much lower level and didnt develop into a lot of playing time for the young defender with the exception Walsal in League 1 ie the 3rd division in England where he played 16 times for them.

As said he did play for times for Aston Villa at the end of the 2015/16 season in the Premiership when they were already relegated. Shows the fine lines and bit of luck that can lead to a career in football as relegation obviously a bad thing but can work in a players favour, like Kevin could potentially have started to get playing time in the Championship when the bigger profile players in his position left and therefore giving him an opportunity to build on his 4 appearances from previous season and show his ability and get a regular run starting his career off at a great club in Aston Villa. Unfortunately however in his case relegation went against him as the new manager brought in seasoned experienced pros on good wages to try get AV back into premiership hence not giving youth much of a chance and pushing Kevin further down the pecking order as opposed to up it. Obviously that didnt work for AV either cause they didnt bounce straight back and were a few years in the wilderness before they did but regardless Kevin Toners opportunity had passed.

On 20th of December 2017, which is preseason in Ireland, he signed for St Patricks Athletic in the Irish Premier Divisionon on a 2 year deal. There he was a main stay in the team playing week in week out at only 21, also couldnt have got off to a better start, scoring on debut. Toner left St Pats at the expiration of his contract on the 26th of October 2019. It was reported there was a difference of opinion between him and the new St Pats manager which may have been the main reason he left.

Though there would have been other league of Ireland offers for his services of the now seasoned League of Ireland pro, a month later he signed for non league side Kilmore Celtic though one would imagine this was more to stay fit while he assessed his next move. He never made an official appearance for Kilmore and moved to Spain for work and family outside of football pretty much deciding to call time on his career at the young age of 23.

However on the 17th of September 2020 the now Spain based 24 year old, signed for newly promoted 3rd division team La Nucia where he remains to date, almost 3 years later.

Internationally he has yet to represent the Senior Irish team but has represented Ireland at youth level U15, U16, U17, U19 and has been in U21s squads. So now as a 26 yr old going on 27 next month his focus will be on club level and hopefully get to a potentially higher level and gaining the attention of the Irish media and Senior management.

At club level, La Nucia has remained in the 3rd division in Spain throughout his time at the club until this season, as they were relegated and will now play in Spanish 4th division next season. He has again remained a permanent fixture in their first team, playing 72 times, scoring twice in 2 and a half seasons, and is highly thought of and respected by club and fans alike. While the 3rd division in Spain might arguably not be considered as good as the 3rd division in England from various points of view including pay perhaps, it is still a very good place to be and also a great platform for the soon to be 27 year old. He is now an established player in Spain and there is potential moves there for him perhaps in 2nd Division in Spain, elsewhere in Europe and of course in UK too. You'd imagine that if a good financial package was offered to him he would put consider a move and again perhaps if he moved to Spanish 2nd Division he could perhaps get promoted to La Liga or come to the attention of a La Liga side or equivalent in a top European league. La Nucia themselves would not appear to be anywhere near getting into the 2nd division anytime soon as they just finished the season in 17th out of 20 teams and relegated to division 4. All in all it would appear the time is right to move on, as hard as that may be for him to consider leaving a place he is so highly thought of and respected. Another potential avenue may also be a reserve team of a La Liga side which potentially could lead to an opportunity in a La Liga side itself, as a lot of La Liga's B teams play in and around those leagues/level in Spain and for a seasoned 27 year old veteran with Premiership, Irish Premier Division, European club football and Spanish week in/week out first team football the timing may just perfect if the right opportunity arises resulting in him getting the chance to shine at the very highest level. As said earlier when at AV relegation didnt give him the opportunity he probably coulda shoulda had, but this time he is older, more experienced, wiser, seasoned and gone through those tough mental battles so he knows the ly of the land this time, played at the highest level and perhaps this is his time and this time he will make his own opportunity and luck and who knows he may very well be a La Liga, Irish International player in the not too distant future and if an opportunity to fulfil that arose he would surely grab it with both hands. This summer may be the pivotal point in his career, though he does have a year left on his contract running out in June 2024. Though perhaps he has a release clause or could come to an agreement that is suitable for both him and club if a better option arises, which is not bad for a player who 3 years ago albeit retired from football at 23. Now exciting times lay ahead in the hopefully not too distant future for the player and happy Irish fans will be watching on.

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21st June 2024 signed for Orihuela in the Spanish 4th Tier.

Hi and welcome back to the pod. Today we are talking about a 16 yr old Irish winger from Mahon in Cork called Jaden Umeh who was born on the 18 of March 2008. He started off playing for Ringmahon Rangers. Ringmahon are reknowned for producing top players like current Irish Internationals Caoimhin Kelleher and Alan Browne to name but 2.

He then went on to join the Cork City academy, i think in 2022 as a 13 year old, which is the normal progression at youth level there especially these days of Irish players not being able to go to the UK until the age of 18. This season he has broke into first team football proper with Cork, but actually made his debut last year as a 15 year old in the 2023 Munster Senior Cup against Cobh Ramblers on on the 14th of August 2023. Cork City currently play in the Irish 2nd tier at the moment. As said he is a main stay in the team now with 16 appearances todate, 2 goals and 2 assists so impressive to say the least. Cork being in the first division ie 2nd tier may have got him more playing time but thats a maybe and he defo would have got some if they were in the top flight and perhaps just as many as the talent is clear to see. Cork as said currently in Irish First Division the 2nd tier in the Irish footballing pyramid but they are currently running away with the league and will no doubt be back in the irish top flight again next season, they are also historically a big team in the LOI, for those outside of Ireland the LOI can perhaps be volitile in teams being top teams and then dropping off the map and then coming back depending on their financial backing at the time and club structure and all it takes is for a team to get a boost from a business man and then they are back in the big time. Again for those outside of Ireland the irish football season runs feb to oct/nov time, so basically mid season at present.

Jaden comes from a footballing family of course with his older brother Franco, who himself is only 19, coming the same route as Jaden and now signed to English Premier League side Cyrstal Palace.

Internationally Jaden has represented Ireland at U15s, U16s & U17s extensively with lots of goals to boot. He will go on to move through the gears and go up through the Irish Youth age groups will before pushing for Senior International caps. To note he does qualify for Nigeria through heritage too but to those outside of Ireland they make a different breed in Cork and Corkonians are one of the most nationalist on the Island of Ireland so highly doubt a Cork lad would be tempted to play for another country other then Ireland albeit though Nigeria would probably have more opportunities for a player to play in International competitions on the world stage ie every African Nations Cups and they are always there or there abouts with qualifying for World Cups.

Predominantly his impressive performances for Ireland u15s, 16s & 17s whos matches are highly scouted these days by Europes elite clubs and also the fact he is now involved in first team football at only 16 with Cork have put him on the radar with a deal apparently all but done and dusted to sign for Benfica. He has a knee injury at present and is allegedly being flown to Benfica to have it assessed before completing the deal and move in the coming weeks officially. Injuries are part and parcel of any sport and its something everyone will come across at some stage in their career. Usually an injury might put a stop whether permanently or temporarily to a move depending on where a player is in his career but for a 16 year old whos just starting off and has interest from other big potential suitors Id imagine it would take a lot for Benfica to pull out at this stage, especially due to the fact that theyve been in the driving seat for him since last year and if they did someone else would swoop in for him now or very quickly so wouldnt be a good business move on there behalf and highly doubt they will. However if they were there is rumoured interest in him from Serie A now too, not sure with who but its very likely as Italian sides have been probably the most active country after the UK in taking top Irish talent and fact they have a 2 year window to get the hop of UK clubs means the timing is perfect for them. If Benfica or another top European side was to move for him the time would have to be now cause if they were to cool their interest even till Jan window then they could more of less forget it as the player would be close to 17 then and being courted by UK sides and with the only a year left he may be tempted to stay put continuing with first team football then in the Irish Premier Division before moving to UK.

With the footballing world at his feet, talent and skill in abundance and in conjunction with his family, brother and team around him id imagine he will sign for Benfica in the very near future ie this summer as the lure and opportunity of joining a European elite will be too good to pass up. A top move for a top player.

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03/08/24

Moves to Benfica.

Hi and welcome back to the pod. Today we are talking about a 17 yr old midfielder called Kristóper Jóhannsson Ward. Born 20/08/2006, he grew up in Iceland and is Irish Icelandic through his parentage.

He started playing in earnest with Icelandic team Keflavík in their academy. Keflavik's senior team was in the top tier of Icelandic football at the time. He didnt make any first team appearances which is perfectly normal as again he was very very young.

However on the 2nd of Feb 23 as a 16 yr old he moved to 2nd tier Icelandic side Njarðvík or UMFN as they are known. On paper you may have been thinking he just moved from the academy of a 1st tier team to the academy of a 2nd tier team which is true but it was a gutsy move as and definitely worked out. Like he could have stayed at the higher level team but moving down a division could bring him closer to the first team sooner and first team football is really what is the essential ingredient and sooner or later you have to make the jump from academy player etc into senior football otherwise you can just get lost along the way and perhaps never make it. Anyways he made the brave and smart move and it paid off as 8 days later he made his senior pro debut at only 16 in the cup. He went on to make 9 appearances in total for them last season but also alot of bench time and training regularly with their first team in 2023 which again for an only 16/17 yr old is a great turn out in first season in Senior football. To note any reservations he or his team may have had regarding leaving a 1st tier side proved smart not only through fact he got lots more exposure then he perhaps may have got if he had of stayed at Keflavik but also Keflavik themselves unfortunately got relegated into the 2nd tier too so he would have ended up in the 2nd tier anyways if he had of stayed but now he was in a much better situation with all that first team football in his locker now and going forward to the new season which youd imagine would only lead to increased first team football exposure. So at this stage hes in a great position and a year ahead of where he would have been if he had of stayed put.

Obviously after a fairly successful first season it got him noticed and one of the big boys in Scandanvian football came a calling in Molde and with it the chance to go up the ladder which clearly is an opportunity you have to take. So the now 17 yr old now moved from Iceland to Norway and signs with Molde on the 14th September of last year going into their reserve team who play in the 4th tier of Norwegian football. Now again although its the 4th tier in norway it leads to even more first team exposure in perhaps a higher level league although I imagine, though not an expert on scandanavian football, 4th tier in Norway is similar or not much lower then the 2nd tier in Iceland but I stand to be corrected by people who are more knowledgeable in the region. Season in Norway runs April to October just like season in Iceland which is circa the same.

Internationally he is eligible for Iceland and Ireland. Obviously the player himself will have a preference and although a tough decision im sure growing up in Iceland will perhaps be his favoured preference but maybe just maybe if Ireland could get him into the youth set up sooner rather then later then perhaps this could persuade him to favour Ireland. That of course is down to the Irish set up who will be aware of him.

He turns 18 in 2 weeks time, happy birthday, and of course by turning 18 this opens up more opportunities for him now IF there is an opportunity for another club to prize him away from Molde. Of course im sure Molde will know what they have in the talented midfielder, will no doubt have him tied up contractually and wont be letting a future star slip away. So fully expect him to stay put and in the next year or 2 break into the Molde side and what a great place and position to be in for himself and his career at a great club and with so much first team experience already at this very early stage and age to boot. As said hes in a excellent position and perfectly on course and hasnt put a foot wrong and some great wise moves by him and his team so far, and fully expect this to continue. Skill and intelligence at play here.

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Update 

6th Feb 2025 moves from Moldes B team to Vidir in the Icelandic 3rd tier.