Zak Gilsenan M Blackburn b.2003

[DannyInvincible]

'Nine-year-old Irish prodigy signs for Barcelona academy': http://www.thescore.ie/nine-year-old-irish-prodigy-signs-for-barcelona-academy-522685-Jul2012/?utm_source=facebook_self&utm_medium=thescore&utm_campaign=from_page


ZAK GILSENAN. REMEMBER the name.

The nine-year-old from Castleknock in Dublin has signed for FC Barcelona after scoring seven goals in a trial game for the Catalan giants.

The Sun reports that Zak saw off 400 other young hopefuls to seal a place at the FCBEscola football academy, the same school that educated the likes of Andres Iniesta, Xavi and Lionel Messi.

'Zak of the net for young Irish Messi': http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/irishsun/irishsunnews/4431094/Zak-of-the-net-for-young-Irish-Messi.html


He will now come face-to-face with Ireland’s Galactico — Mayo lad John Joe Patrick Finn. In May we revealed how the youngster, whose dad is from Ballyhaunis, signed for the other Spanish giants, Real Madrid.

Mining company worker Stephen said: “I know Zak is young to be doing this but kids are like a sponge at this age.

“People say we are mad but in Barcelona he will be educated in the best footballing techniques.

“All we can do is go and see how it develops. We know it’s ruthless over there. We don’t want him turned into a machine, we just want him to enjoy it. It’s his dream to play for Ireland.”

[tricky_colour]

Blimey!!! The Great White Hope (or whatever).

Unfortunately he is only 9!!

However there does not appear to be a lower limit on the age you can play international football.



Souleymane Mamam

According to official FIFA records, on 6 May 2001, he became the youngest player to ever play a World Cup qualifier when he played for Togo against Zambia at the age of 13 years and 310 days.[7]

However he may have been older but FIFA allowed him to play when they thought he was 13.




Official FIFA records appear to indicate that Mamam was born on the 30 June 1987. However, various websites, including the official website of Royal Antwerp, cite 20 June 1985 as Mamam's birthdate, which would mean he was in fact almost 16 when he played his first match for Togo.

This could turn out to be the longest thread ever!!!

[gastric]

About 8 years ago Man Utd signed a young 7 year old from Ireland called Ross Murtagh supposedly beating off competition from Barcelona. Unfortunately have heard nothing since. Does anyone know what happened to him, I assume it just wasn't meant to be.

[Dodge]

This could turn out to be the longest thread ever!!!
:D

Interviewed on Today FM over the weekend. Said his favourite player was Ronaldo. Hope he doesn't bring that up over there

[paul_oshea]

That finn lad is not from Mayo. His father is from Mayo.

And he could well play for Spain yet, if he ever turns out good enough. Still though thats what we need to start doing, importing women from all over the world, from footballing strongholds, and fornicate with Irish men from ballydehob, to nobber to glenamady to gaoith dobhair and we should be sound in 10 years. Forget all about stutts footballing academey or joining up all the different footballing structures in ireland, this is a real and attainable goal.

[tetsujin1979]

About 8 years ago Man Utd signed a young 7 year old from Ireland called Ross Murtagh supposedly beating off competition from Barcelona. Unfortunately have heard nothing since. Does anyone know what happened to him, I assume it just wasn't meant to be.
Here's an article from the Independent from 2002 about him signing for United: http://www.independent.ie/national-news/ross-8-gets-the-call-to-become-uniteds-youngest-recruit-296441.html
And an article from last year about a lad named Ross Murtagh, who may not be the same guy, on trial at Yeovil Town: http://www.ciderspace.co.uk/asp/news/news.asp?NewsItemId=15478
Can't find anything else about him with Yeovil, so it doesn't look like he was offered a contract

[ArdeeBhoy]

Still though thats what we need to start doing, importing women from all over the world, from footballing strongholds, and fornicate with Irish men from ballydehob, to nobber to glenamady to gaoith dobhair and we should be sound in 10 years. Forget all about stutts footballing academey or joining up all the different footballing structures in ireland, this is a real and attainable goal.

That's what I've said for many years. And don't leave our women out either...
:rolleyes:

[paul_oshea]

Nah keep the irish women for the lads who cant get the foreign women.

Also, the paternal links are stronger anyway...

[DannyInvincible]

That finn lad is not from Mayo. His father is from Mayo.

And he could well play for Spain yet, if he ever turns out good enough. Still though thats what we need to start doing, importing women from all over the world, from footballing strongholds, and fornicate with Irish men from ballydehob, to nobber to glenamady to gaoith dobhair and we should be sound in 10 years. Forget all about stutts footballing academey or joining up all the different footballing structures in ireland, this is a real and attainable goal.

Here's a piece on John Joe Finn: http://www.thescore.ie/the-new-galactico-real-madrid-snap-up-8-year-old-with-mayo-roots-437285-May2012/

As well as Ireland and Spain, he'll also be eligible to play for France (and possibly Cameroon) as his mother is of French-Cameroonian descent.

[SkStu]

Here's a piece on John Joe Finn: http://www.thescore.ie/the-new-galactico-real-madrid-snap-up-8-year-old-with-mayo-roots-437285-May2012/

why did they put a picture of Whoopi Goldberg with that article?

[Sullivinho]

Has to be on the plane.

[Yard of Pace]

That finn lad is not from Mayo. His father is from Mayo.

And he could well play for Spain yet, if he ever turns out good enough. Still though thats what we need to start doing, importing women from all over the world, from footballing strongholds, and fornicate with Irish men from ballydehob, to nobber to glenamady to gaoith dobhair and we should be sound in 10 years. Forget all about stutts footballing academey or joining up all the different footballing structures in ireland, this is a real and attainable goal.

This is actually a good idea. I know a Brazilian girl who's a good footballer herself and now has a 4 year old half Irish/half Brazilian son. He was born and will be raised in Ireland. I know a few others with the same. (Don't ask!!)
I myself have a half Irish/half Polish future goalkeeper for us.

The Dept of Foreign Affairs (I think it was) made it easy a few years ago for Brazilians to come to Ireland to study and work. There are 1000s of them here now. One of the biggest singing stars in Brazil is coming to play the Academy in Dublin on Sunday. It will be jam-packed with hundreds of Brazilian girls. Gentlemen, you know what you have to do.

[Closed Account]

This is actually a good idea. I know a Brazilian girl who's a good footballer herself and now has a 4 year old half Irish/half Brazilian son. He was born and will be raised in Ireland. I know a few others with the same. (Don't ask!!)
I myself have a half Irish/half Polish future goalkeeper for us.

The Dept of Foreign Affairs (I think it was) made it easy a few years ago for Brazilians to come to Ireland to study and work. There are 1000s of them here now. One of the biggest singing stars in Brazil is coming to play the Academy in Dublin on Sunday. It will be jam-packed with hundreds of Brazilian girls. Gentlemen, you know what you have to do.I'm in.

[CraftyToePoke]

One of the biggest singing stars in Brazil is coming to play the Academy in Dublin on Sunday. It will be jam-packed with hundreds of Brazilian girls. Gentlemen, you know what you have to do.

Give one for the team?

[paul_oshea]

This is actually a good idea. I know a Brazilian girl who's a good footballer herself and now has a 4 year old half Irish/half Brazilian son. He was born and will be raised in Ireland. I know a few others with the same. (Don't ask!!)
I myself have a half Irish/half Polish future goalkeeper for us.

The Dept of Foreign Affairs (I think it was) made it easy a few years ago for Brazilians to come to Ireland to study and work. There are 1000s of them here now. One of the biggest singing stars in Brazil is coming to play the Academy in Dublin on Sunday. It will be jam-packed with hundreds of Brazilian girls. Gentlemen, you know what you have to do.

Bring a ball....and ask them to play keepie, uppie ; )

[the bear]

Anyone with a Greek bird will be hung, drawn and quartered

[tricky_colour]

Like this?

http://i854.photobucket.com/albums/ab105/papa_peter/Chicken/PecanLegQuarters01262011/PecanQuarter1.jpg

[kennedmc]

here is another one - Conor Materson a 13 year old playing for Lucan Untied has signed for Liverpool.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=428985237140939&set=a.119851161387683.8043.105312276174905&type=1&theater

Widely reported elsewhere also. Good luck to the lad!

[paul_oshea]

So all this worry about development at underage and 10 years to bare fruit, we are sound, all by ourselves. We just need to wait 10 years!!

[DannyInvincible]

'10-year-old Irish footballer extends Barcelona deal': http://www.irishpost.co.uk/sport/10-year-old-irish-footballer-extends-barcelona-deal


YOUNG Zak Gilsenan might not yet be commanding the headlines of Neymar but the 10-year-old Dubliner can still call himself a Barcelona player.

The Castleknock boy has signed a new two year deal with the Spanish champions after impressing in his debut season with the club.

The youngster was previously spotted while playing for the Perth Glory youth team in Australia and has impressed his coaches enough to be kept on at Barcelona’s La Masia football academy.

Gilsenan was plucked from 400 hopefuls last June by the academy, which goes under the official name of FCBEscola.

He scored seven goals in the final trial game to confirm his place at the club.

Players that have come through the FCBEscola academy include Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and Cesc Fabregas.

Gilsenan’s former coach in Perth, Callum Salmon said. “Whilst Zak’s technical ability was very special, it was his character overall which was most impressive. His attitude, enthusiasm and hard work were outstanding.”

Gilsenan has been used as a striker, right midfield and right back at the academy and has captained Barcelona’s youth side.

Might he even be in the Ireland line up at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar?

[paul_oshea]

How is he a Dubliner if he lives in Australia? he is a very well travelled young lad!

[liamoo11]

'10-year-old Irish footballer extends Barcelona deal': http://www.irishpost.co.uk/sport/10-year-old-irish-footballer-extends-barcelona-deal

Typical turn him into a full back!Just like when Leeds turned the free scoring very young striker Ian harte into a left full the end of innocence

[nigel-harps1954]

How is he a Dubliner if he lives in Australia? he is a very well travelled young lad!


I'm almost certain there's no Dublin folk in Australia at the minute.. ;)

[londoneire]

Great to see some irish lads coming through albeit through Irish parents, never the less potential boys in green for the future. I recently watched a young lad called Kenny McEvoy who plays for Tottenham Hotspur U21's, he looks a deadly winger who cuts in and creates a lot of chances and i have no doubt he'll be wearing the green shirt fairly soon, lets hope spurs give him a shot at first team football. Whilst watching him i was talking to a fella who told me Spurs had just signed a young fella called Fin Lawless who's dad comes from Bray, apparently the little left footer has a lot of admirers in the premier league so definately one to watch for the future too.

[DannyInvincible]

McEvoy is Spurs' next Gareth Bale look-alike, of course.

Article on Fin Lawless here: http://www.hemeltoday.co.uk/sport/football/the-future-s-bright-as-fin-earns-his-spurs-1-6053382

And just came across this video featuring Zak Gilsenan:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiuItZBz6WY

[tetsujin1979]

set to move to Liverpool: http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/elevenyearold-irish-messi-set-to-join-liverpool-30790444.html

[BonnieShels]

How is he a Dubliner if he lives in Australia? he is a very well travelled young lad!

How are you a Rossie if you live in England?

[tetsujin1979]

does he qualify for Australia and Spain, under residency?

(can open, worms...everywhere)

[Charlie Darwin]

An article elsewhere said he's eligible for Australia, Ireland and England. He's not eligible for Spain.

[Eminence Grise]

How are you a Rossie if you live in England?

As CS Lewis wrote: 'One a king or queen or Narnia, always a king or queen of Narnia.'

It's a Rossie thing, Bonnie, but something I thought a flag-waving, card-carrying Alberts-man would have understood. (You can tell it's the off-season when the Alberts are warming up!)

[gastric]

Great news that he qualifies for a number of countries. At least we will have a replacement for Grealish (once he makes his mind up), who can emotionally torture and intrigue us about his possible choice of country. Can't wait for it to start! ;)

[tetsujin1979]

Gilsenan is on a ProFootballTraining course at the moment and was asked about his experiences at Barcelona:
Y_Y0b6eypmg

[Olé Olé]

Seems to be a solid Irish accent on the kid Gilsenan.


Here's an article from the Independent from 2002 about him signing for United: http://www.independent.ie/national-news/ross-8-gets-the-call-to-become-uniteds-youngest-recruit-296441.html
And an article from last year about a lad named Ross Murtagh, who may not be the same guy, on trial at Yeovil Town: http://www.ciderspace.co.uk/asp/news/news.asp?NewsItemId=15478
Can't find anything else about him with Yeovil, so it doesn't look like he was offered a contract

This one intrigued me so I did some further rooting. The lad seems to now be going by his mother's name, Holland, and is playing his football in one of the groups in the Tercera Division in Spain. Here's his twitter: https://twitter.com/rosshnd and here he appears in the squad of his side, Atletico Pulpileno: http://www.futbolme.com/resultados-directo/equipo/club-atletico-pulpileno/85

[IsMiseSean]

Terrible haircut on the lad. He'll eventually get sense.

[liamoo11]

Gilsenan is on a ProFootballTraining course at the moment and was asked about his experiences at Barcelona:
Y_Y0b6eypmg

Did he sign for liverpool? i assume not if he wearing a utd top!! For a lad who is only 12 or so he seems very articulate

[gastric]

Seems to be a solid Irish accent on the kid Gilsenan.



This one intrigued me so I did some further rooting. The lad seems to now be going by his mother's name, Holland, and is playing his football in one of the groups in the Tercera Division in Spain. Here's his twitter: https://twitter.com/rosshnd and here he appears in the squad of his side, Atletico Pulpileno: http://www.futbolme.com/resultados-directo/equipo/club-atletico-pulpileno/85


if it is the same Ross Murtagh, he returned to the Canary Islands after United where his family run a bar. His father is one of these sick people who could play any sport well and it was the same with musical instruments!

[liamoo11]

young gilsenan has moved to Blackburn it seems https://www.brfcs.com/mb/index.php?/forums/topic/33605-zak-gilsenan/ wasn't in our recent 16s squad. Incidently the young lady who was at Real Madrid Finn is in the lower leagues in Spain now

[tetsujin1979]

on the other players mentioned in the thread
here is another one - Conor Materson a 13 year old playing for Lucan Untied has signed for Liverpool.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=428985237140939&set=a.119851161387683.8043.105312276174905&type=1&theater

Widely reported elsewhere also. Good luck to the lad!
Masterson is still with Liverpool, and has made the matchday squad but is still to make his debut


McEvoy is Spurs' next Gareth Bale look-alike, of course.

Article on Fin Lawless here: http://www.hemeltoday.co.uk/sport/football/the-future-s-bright-as-fin-earns-his-spurs-1-6053382

And just came across this video featuring Zak Gilsenan:


After being named on the Spurs bench once, a few loan spells, and a return to his native Waterford, McEvoy left football completely, no idea what he's doing now

Lawless seems to be with Watford now, going by this - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKhhm-4klX0

In a bizarre coincidence, here's a photo of Lawless with none other than Zak Gilsenan!
434966378941267968
Think that's his dad's twitter account

[liamoo11]

Made a couple of appearances for Blackburn 18s in last week. Be nice to see hi. In our next 16s squad

[samhaydenjr]

Made a couple of appearances for Blackburn 18s in last week. Be nice to see hi. In our next 16s squad

Would it be too late to include him in the squad for the U17s Finals... and has he done enough to justify it?

[liamoo11]

Isn't in the aussie 17s squad for the world cup but it is only jas 3 lads who are 2003s in it like gilsenan is the rest are 2002s

[tetsujin1979]

Bump
Nine years after the thread was started, he's in the under 19 squad with John Joe Patrick Finn Benoa, who signed for Real Madrid around the same time he signed for Barcelona

[liamoo11]

Bump
Nine years after the thread was started, he's in the under 19 squad with John Joe Patrick Finn Benoa, who signed for Real Madrid around the same time he signed for Barcelona

Its a great story isn't it? Both have done great to beat the odds so far in their careers.

[Olé Olé]

https://www.the42.ie/zak-gilsenan-ireland-2-5580922-Oct2021/?amp=1&__twitter_impression=true

Gavin Cooney reckons that Gilsenan has committed to Ireland. Nice. All the best to him with the injury recovery.

[tetsujin1979]

Scores and assists tonight on his senior debut, in a 4-3 win for Blackburn

[JR89]

Hopefully tonights performances can get him a spot in the match day squad at the weekend.

All three of Walsalls goals were scored by Irish players. Oisin McEntee, Ross Tierney who also got an assist, and Ronan Maher whose another U21s eligible player.

[Eirambler]

Might he even be in the Ireland line up at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar?

This was ambitious on a number of levels, in hindsight...

[samhaydenjr]

Well, that was a long wait - eleven years after the first post, Gilsenan finally makes his first-team debut - and crazily, he's still only 20

[Razors left peg]

Well, that was a long wait - eleven years after the first post, Gilsenan finally makes his first-team debut - and crazily, he's still only 20
And after 11 years he still might not even be ours... Australia still on the table I think

[JR89]

And after 11 years he still might not even be ours... Australia still on the table I think

He turned down the Australia U23 call up back in May for personal reasons according to Australia.