Irelands nearly eleven

The thread on Keith O'Neill got me thinking about all those players who looked like they were set for great international careers before disappearing off the radar through injury or loss of form. There's been plenty but here's my 11:

Gary Kelly (Newcastle 1980's)
Jim Beglin (Liverpool 80's)
Alan Maybury (Leeds)
Gary Doherty (Spurs)
Pat Scully (Arsenal 80's)
Mark Kelly (Portsmouth 80's)
Gareth Farrelly (Aston Villa 90's)
Jerry Murphy (Crystal Palace 70's)
Kevin O'Callaghan (Ipswich 80's)
Richard Sadler (Millwall)
Keith O'Neill (Norwich)

Anyone else?

McPhail surely must take pride of place :) Joe Murphy when he was at Tranmere was also very highly rated and played a key part in their success in the mid-90s. Also Kieron Brady with Sunderland in the 80s was a huge prospect.

There are dozens in the Gary Doherty, Gareth Farrelly category of basically crap players that we expected too much from.

We have not had too many Lazarus players though - Graham Kavanagh comes to mind, any others who plumbed the depths before rising for an Indian summer?

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Originally Posted by Qwerty

We have not had too many Lazarus players though - Graham Kavanagh comes to mind, any others who plumbed the depths before rising for an Indian summer?

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...possibly Stephen Hunt

Graham Barrett - The next home grown Arsenal superstar, captain of the youth team, captain of the reserves, released to Coventry where he was only average, now at the mighty Falkirk.

David Connolly, Mark Kennedy, Phil Babb, Thomas Butler, Eddie McGoldrick, Liam George. The list is as endless as time itself.

You could also add Lee Power and Andy Turner to that. Also, Kieron Durkan he was a combative midfielder but don't know where he went. Remember him in an U21 game v England in Dalyer. Brian Carey and Mick Milligan got a lot of talk as well but didn't really figure in the end.

Paul Byrne. What a talent.

In our league players I've seen who should have made it would be Ricky McEvoy, Mark Kenny, Liam Coyle. Paddy McCourt still has time.

Unfortunately most of the above ****ed their talent away.

KOH

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Originally Posted by NY Hoop

Paddy McCourt still has time.


KOH

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No he doesn't, he's a Northern Ireland U21 international

Maybe Richie Partridge and Tony Sheridan. Never made it to senior international level, but half a forest must have been cut down for all the newspaper talk about them!

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Originally Posted by youngirish

David Connolly, Mark Kennedy, Phil Babb, Thomas Butler, Eddie McGoldrick, Liam George. The list is as endless as time itself.

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Babb was at the 94 world cup wasn't he? got to count for something.

over 10 years ago David Billington and Mark McKeever, both Ireland U-21's,went from Peterborough to Sheffield Wednesday for a combined fee of 1 million pounds (even alot for back then) they both, mainly thru injury, faded into oblivion.

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Originally Posted by SaucyJack

Babb was at the 94 world cup wasn't he? got to count for something.

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Similarly Kennedy and Connolly both had more than their fair share of chances...

You can add Alan Moore to that list aswell, he was given his debut up front in one of McCarthy's first matches (could have been Czechs away?) and impressed....never built on it after that....

Alan O'Brien

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Originally Posted by soccerc

No he doesn't, he's a Northern Ireland U21 international

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Paddy is a full International, who now just gets ignored by them.

kwame ampudu

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Originally Posted by Dazzy

Paddy is a full International, who now just gets ignored by them.

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My point was he wouldnt look out of place playing international football.

KOH

Dominic Foley

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Originally Posted by youngirish

David Connolly, Mark Kennedy, Phil Babb, Thomas Butler, Eddie McGoldrick, Liam George. The list is as endless as time itself.

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McGoldrick had a decent Irish career. He was never a superstar but he also never let Ireland down.

Babb, for better or for worse, also did ok as an Irish player.

Ronnie O'Brien - once voted the world's best player

Sean Thornton because of reasons we all know about but Barry Quinns story I have never heard.In a lot of ways he was more commanding than McPhail for the famous Euro winning youth team.