The Never Made It's

[Carrigaline]

Thought it would be interesting (and different!) to do a thread about players who could have been bigger than what they were.

My first nomination is Michael Reddy, I remember seeing him play play for the under 21's against Austria (and score a cracker too). Never really made it at Sunderland and since dropping down the English divisions, he's ended up playing professional football in Greenland and now the Falkland Islands! Pretty unfortunate that this guys career was practically over at 26.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Reddy

[macdermesser]

living in Greenland and the Malvinas Islands sounds a great life to me though. Wonder what the caillini in Greenland are like .. though I see he married a local girl on Islas Malvinas.

remember him playing against Pats on that famous night down in Buckley Park .. well actually can't remember him .. was slightly more engrossed on sucking the ball into the Killkenny goal after hearing the Dundalk v Shels scoreline

[jmurphyc]

Richard Sadlier (not his fault though) and Sean Thornton. Liam Miller could be a choice in a few years. I guess it depends on the definition of "never made it" though.

[macdermesser]

David Connolly, David Kelly and Mark Kelly

[Sligo Hornet]

Andy Reid, Stephen Ireland;)

[Closed Account]

Thought it would be interesting (and different!) to do a thread about players who could have been bigger than what they were.

My first nomination is Michael Reddy, I remember seeing him play play for the under 21's against Austria (and score a cracker too). Never really made it at Sunderland and since dropping down the English divisions, he's ended up playing professional football in Greenland and now the Falkland Islands! Pretty unfortunate that this guys career was practically over at 26.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Reddy
Read somewhere that that story was made up but who knows what to believe.
http://www.readytogo.net/smb/showpost.php?p=5444739&postcount=1

Heres my nominations.
Jim Goodwin
Alan Mahon
Barry Quinn
Alan O'Brien
Michael Doyle
Graham Barrett
All have Senior Caps, can't see them getting any more

Richie Partridge.

[third policeman]

Kieron Brady (Sunderland ) was supposed to be a great prospect, so was Lee Power when he broke through at Norwich in the 80's. Phil Babb never fulfilled the promise he showed in USA 94, and I remeber pat Nevin descibing Alan Mahon as the best player he had ever played with, but the biggest Irish flop of all time has got to be Martin Murray. Everton bought him from Home Farm when he was 17 and hailed as the most naturally talented player of all time ("better than George Best" etc). Never played for the first team and I think ended up back at Home Farm.

[Dodge]

Some of those named are harsh. Players like Michael Doyle were never stars at youth level, and they've made nice careers for themselves. Doyle certainly hasn't disappointed.

When i say Shaun Byrne captain the winning u18 team i thought he'd be a megastar. Did he even play football at any adult level?

[tetsujin1979]

Stephen McPhail? never made it at international level, but solid enough career in the championship

[elroy]

Sean Thornton - bags of talent, terrible attitude.


There was a guy at West Ham a few years back, a centre midfielder who was meant to be next thing......Shaun something or another?????

EDIT: Just saw the post of Shaun Byrne was who i was thinking of.

[eirebhoy]

Richie Partridge would have to be top of my list. :)

[Kingdom]

Some of those named are harsh. Players like Michael Doyle were never stars at youth level, and they've made nice careers for themselves. Doyle certainly hasn't disappointed.

When i say Shaun Byrne captain the winning u18 team i thought he'd be a megastar. Did he even play football at any adult level?

Veru true about Mick Doyle. Most definitely he's knocked a decent career out of the game.

[richieos]

Dominic Foley, wasted his chances at club level
Stephen Elliot could be one in a few years if he doesnt get his attitude right, same for anthony stokes.
and what about that Daly fella who was meant to be the next quinn?
mark kennedy. alan mahon. alan moore. paul heffernan. cant think of any more at the moment but you could make a team out of the amount of people who didnt fulfill early potential

[Greenbod]

Ashley Grimes, Pearce O'Leary..........Eamon Dunphy

[Sheridan]

Some of those named are harsh. Players like Michael Doyle were never stars at youth level, and they've made nice careers for themselves. Doyle certainly hasn't disappointed.

When i say Shaun Byrne captain the winning u18 team i thought he'd be a megastar. Did he even play football at any adult level?
He did, he even played Premier Division football for DC in 2004 but then went back to the English non-league game. No great shakes but pretty solid.

[Ceirtlis]

Liam George was another one from the succesful youth teams of the 90's. With the youth players though you would let them off because they hadnt played at senior level so it was hard to know how they would be suited to it.

Ritchie Partridge is the best example of a never made it i think, he had a succesful spell on loan with Coventry and it looked like he might be pushing place for the Liverpool team but in the end i think the rest of his career has been played at a lower level than what Coventry were at.

[Ceirtlis]

Dominic Foley, wasted his chances at club level
Stephen Elliot could be one in a few years if he doesnt get his attitude right, same for anthony stokes.
and what about that Daly fella who was meant to be the next quinn?
mark kennedy. alan mahon. alan moore. paul heffernan. cant think of any more at the moment but you could make a team out of the amount of people who didnt fulfill early potential

In fairness to the fella i think he has surprised a few people,me included, by having a succesful career in Belgium.

[dr_peepee]

Mark Kennedy for me in terms of hype and end product... After his move to Liverpool (the most expensive teen in England at the tim he was describe as a cross between Rush, Dalglish and Barnes in the Sunday World....

[beautifulrock]

Mark Kennedy for me in terms of hype and end product... After his move to Liverpool (the most expensive teen in England at the tim he was describe as a cross between Rush, Dalglish and Barnes in the Sunday World....

and he was but sadly it was Jennifer, Kelly and Prentiss rather than Ian, Kenny and John :)

[Paddy Garcia]

David Connolly, David Kelly and Mark Kelly

Well given that David was stuck in leg braces during his formative years, I think he carved out an outstanding career - in fact even without that handicap.

[Paddy Garcia]

Andy Turner
Darren Potter
Richie Partridge
Willo Flood
Matthew Rush
Ged Kelly
Neil Fenn
Anthony Stokes
Willie Bowland
Tony Sheridan
..............................jeez I could go on & on


Much like Sadlier it was not Kieron Brady's fault that he did not make it. Add Terry Dixon too.

[hula4]

Andy Turner
Darren Potter
Richie Partridge
Willo Flood
Matthew Rush
Ged Kelly
Neil Fenn
Anthony Stokes
Willie Bowland
Tony Sheridan
..............................jeez I could go on & on


Much like Sadlier it was not Kieron Brady's fault that he did not make it. Add Terry Dixon too.

willie boland has had and still continues to have a decent career in the lower echelons of the english league, i think he did fairly well to be honest

[Rambling Along]

Terry Dixon

[hula4]

john thompson
keith foy

actually pretty much anyone that played on that ireland under 16 team that beat italy

[ofjames]

Still remember the tale of Stephen Bradley turning down Alex Ferguson in his sitting room after he had made a last gasp dash to Dublin to try persuade the so-called 'wonderkid' to sign for United instead of Arsenal.

He really wasnt worth the trip as it turned out.

Thomas Butler as well, he was supposed to be premiership regular material.

Neil McCafferty at Charlton was on the bench against Man United when he was 16, then never reappeared in a match day squad

Have to say Jason Gavin as well, he looked like he had the cut of a premiership regular for a while only to end up back in the eircom league

[CraftyToePoke]

Ger Crossley at Celtic,

and John McGrath, once of Villa, capped by Kerr at U21, I think and has gone down the levels ending up at Burton Albion, I read a someting once about Ginola working one to one with him while at Villa and he did play a handfull of prem games before the lower leagues beckoned.

[tetsujin1979]

Thomas Butler as well, he was supposed to be premiership regular material.
Butler had a really bad time of it, was injured for more than a year, and nearly ended up dopping out of the game at one point. He's carving a solid career in the Championship for Swansea. Could still be time for him.

[sligoman]

In terms of International career, Glen Crowe and Jason Byrne.

Ian Rossiter, capped at U-18 level...how, I'll never know.

[macdermesser]

Well given that David was stuck in leg braces during his formative years, I think he carved out an outstanding career - in fact even without that handicap.

not arguing that at all .. he had a good career. But when you score a hattrick on your debut for your country and you (allegedly) turn down Man United, Bayern Munich and Liverpool to sign for West Ham, one might have expected more. Had a great season for Newcastle in the early 90s in the first division and then was discarded when they got to the Premier League.

Take your point though ... I forgot about the leg braces .... he really did maximize his talents in that respect. I wonder will he turn up as assistant manager or even manager in the near future ... could have been ours if Billy Davies had got the job

[Dr. Ogba]

Came in to post Richie Partridge and Andy Turner in particular.

I see they've already been mentioned so I'll be on me way then!




Oh, and Paul Butler :o

[Ash]

Ian Rossiter, capped at U-18 level...how, I'll never know.

For the long ball of course :p

[OwlsFan]

"Its" not "It's". :p

Andy Turner. We still slag a friend of ours who predicted he was going to be the next Pele. To quote from a newspaper article:

At 17, when he made his Tottenham Hotspur debut on the day the Premiership was launched, he had the world and the flying boots of one of the game's most terrifying tacklers at his feet. Then came injuries, disillusionment, a 21-strong list of clubs and his virtual disappearance from the football radar.

He's currently a manager at non-league Chasetown.

[gspain]

I think John McGrath made a couple of substitute appearances in the premiership. He spent a season back in Limerick too but just wasn't good enough. He is playing non league now and has been at a few clubs.

Willie Boland carved out a decent enough career for himself too.

I don't remmeber either ever being mentioned as potential superstars.

The real disappointments are the ones that look like superstars at 16/17/18 and then fade away. It happens all too often sadly .

[sparkey]

Tony Sheridan has got be be the biggest waste of a supreme talent. Also Paul Byrne from Celtic goalscorer to eircom league fat-boy.

[Carrigaline]

Does anyone remember the exoticly named Kwame Ampadu? I remember first reading about him in my brothers Arsenal annual as a player who was going to be huge in the future. He got huge alright, only around the waistline though.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kwame_Ampadu

[Dodge]

In one of the old Championship games, they regenerated names. Years into the game you'd have loads of Irish players called Sean Ampadu or Alan Ampadu

Always made me smile

[rostrevor fan]

Anthony Stokes - although relatively young seems to be going backwards whether it is lack of confidence or attitude but he appears on the slippery slope to obscurity

[Carrigaline]

Here's a comparatively new one. I seem to remember people here talking about him as having a role to play in the Irish set up only 2-3 years ago. For a 27 year old 'keeper, he's played bugger all games! :eek:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graham_Stack_(footballer)

[SaucyJack]

Patrick Kohlmann, if nobody has mentioned him.

[Stuttgart88]

Here's a comparatively new one. I seem to remember people here talking about him as having a role to play in the Irish set up only 2-3 years ago. For a 27 year old 'keeper, he's played bugger all games! :eek:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graham_Stack_(footballer)A mate of mine here in London, an Irish guy but a rugby fan, went to buy a second hand car recently. The salesman told him it used to belong to a Premiership footballer. My mate hadn't heard of him.

The registration?

GK1 Stack

[OwlsFan]

Speaking of goal keepers, anyone remember Paddy Roche who went from Bohs to Man U and made some awful howlers? Really felt for the player.

[Morbo]

What ever happened to Keith O'Neil, remember thinking he looked like a decent player when he broke into the Irish team around 96 or so, I think he had injury problems and seems to have disappeared completely, is he retired now?

[OwlsFan]

What ever happened to Keith O'Neil, remember thinking he looked like a decent player when he broke into the Irish team around 96 or so, I think he had injury problems and seems to have disappeared completely, is he retired now?

Keith was alas one of those footballers who, if he bought an ice cream, would have got repetitive strain injury on his fingers by holding it for more than 2 minutes. He retired due to every injury in the business, like the way Stephen Reid is going.

[Hibernian]

Speaking of goal keepers, anyone remember Paddy Roche who went from Bohs to Man U and made some awful howlers? Really felt for the player.

What period would that have been?

I remember my dad was on about him when I was young now that ya brought him up.

Was he from Dublin if ya know and did he get caps for national side?

[fionnsci]

Mark Yeates. He was a hot prospect at Spurs for a while, made his premiership debut in 2004. Playing in League One with Colchester now.

[Hibernian]

that guy that was on Juventus underage setup was it John O Brien or something think he went to States now.

Not sure if he deserves to be on list like this so apologies but remember him being labeled in same way as Brady (of course that was obvious choice to be compared too also)

[tetsujin1979]

that guy that was on Juventus underage setup was it John O Brien or something think he went to States now.

Not sure if he deserves to be on list like this so apologies but remember him being labeled in same way as Brady (of course that was obvious choice to be compared too also)
Ronnie O'Brien. released by Middlesbrough, picked up by Juventus, spent some time in Scotland on loan, and now playing in the States. Very..reluctant to play for Ireland now, by all accounts.

[fionnsci]

I actually had high hopes for Joe O'Cearuill for a while :(. Colin Healy never fulfilled his potential either.

[Dodge]

Ronnie O'Brien. released by Middlesbrough, picked up by Juventus, spent some time in Scotland on loan, and now playing in the States. Very..reluctant to play for Ireland now, by all accounts.

I too am reluctant, and I've received as many call ups as he has... :rolleyes:

[Hibernian]

Ronnie O'Brien. released by Middlesbrough, picked up by Juventus, spent some time in Scotland on loan, and now playing in the States. Very..reluctant to play for Ireland now, by all accounts.

Thats the lad not sure where I got John from.

Be fair it was properly the media who hyped him up more then anything but pity there were not right