bawn79
31/08/2012, 8:44 AM
I was thinking recently with the retirement from international football of the current crop of senior players that these guys are probably the first real crop of very wealthly irish footballers to retire (maybe excluding Roy Keane or one or two others in the last 5 years).
The really top players shouldn't have to worry about having to work again. I was wondering whether maybe one of them might dedicate themselves to Irish football (in ireland) rather than going into commentary or coaching in England.
I've a couple of ideas floating around in my head in which one of these guys might be interested in.
Setting up a football school in Dublin - surely a school in Dublin could (with minimal financial involvement) set themselves up as a soccer academy / school. A retired player could offer his name and some of his time in coaching players attending the school. This school would be for the best young players in the country. The elite footballing students at the school would be offered up to 4 hours (or whatever would be required) coaching each day around their regular studies. I'm sure the FAI would be able to offer the use of some of their full-time development coaches and the school in question would benefit from having its name regarded as a football academy regarding sponsorship etc.
Setting up a football academy in Dublin similar to the Glenn Hoddle academy in Spain. As a follow on to the School a retired player could set up an academy similar to Glenn Hoddle's academy in Spain. From what I understand of it the Glenn Hoddle academy allows young players that have been released by clubs in England to continue to train full time and benefit from Glenn Hoddles coaching and in return if they get back into professional football then the academy receives a percentage of signing on fees etc. The Glenn Hoddle academy also loans players to one of the spanish clubs to gain experience.
I think this would be a perfect set-up for Ireland. In the "Retired Player" academy any young irish players that have been released and are deemed good enough (or are in an area where the irish international squads are in need of a particular type of player) are given a chance with the academy. It may even be possible to put a team into the league of ireland as the costs should be small as the players would all be amateurs (put them in a first division so that they is no pressure involving relegation). The academy / club holds the registration of the players and receives a percentage of signing on fees once the players are sold on again. Any profit would be ploughed back into the the football school and football academy. You would hope an academy like this would allow players that aren't physical enough for the English game at 17/18 the time to bulk up or else go to the continent. As the football school and academy are linked up it would give younger players the chance to get their leaving cert and the school could also teach languages so players have the options to go to other countrys.
Basically it would be kinda like a development squad running for the benefit of the Irish international squad rather than the benefit of a specific club.
The really top players shouldn't have to worry about having to work again. I was wondering whether maybe one of them might dedicate themselves to Irish football (in ireland) rather than going into commentary or coaching in England.
I've a couple of ideas floating around in my head in which one of these guys might be interested in.
Setting up a football school in Dublin - surely a school in Dublin could (with minimal financial involvement) set themselves up as a soccer academy / school. A retired player could offer his name and some of his time in coaching players attending the school. This school would be for the best young players in the country. The elite footballing students at the school would be offered up to 4 hours (or whatever would be required) coaching each day around their regular studies. I'm sure the FAI would be able to offer the use of some of their full-time development coaches and the school in question would benefit from having its name regarded as a football academy regarding sponsorship etc.
Setting up a football academy in Dublin similar to the Glenn Hoddle academy in Spain. As a follow on to the School a retired player could set up an academy similar to Glenn Hoddle's academy in Spain. From what I understand of it the Glenn Hoddle academy allows young players that have been released by clubs in England to continue to train full time and benefit from Glenn Hoddles coaching and in return if they get back into professional football then the academy receives a percentage of signing on fees etc. The Glenn Hoddle academy also loans players to one of the spanish clubs to gain experience.
I think this would be a perfect set-up for Ireland. In the "Retired Player" academy any young irish players that have been released and are deemed good enough (or are in an area where the irish international squads are in need of a particular type of player) are given a chance with the academy. It may even be possible to put a team into the league of ireland as the costs should be small as the players would all be amateurs (put them in a first division so that they is no pressure involving relegation). The academy / club holds the registration of the players and receives a percentage of signing on fees once the players are sold on again. Any profit would be ploughed back into the the football school and football academy. You would hope an academy like this would allow players that aren't physical enough for the English game at 17/18 the time to bulk up or else go to the continent. As the football school and academy are linked up it would give younger players the chance to get their leaving cert and the school could also teach languages so players have the options to go to other countrys.
Basically it would be kinda like a development squad running for the benefit of the Irish international squad rather than the benefit of a specific club.