This is the group Louie played with for ireland https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/...-30884733.html
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This is the group Louie played with for ireland https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/...-30884733.html
Four of those still involved with Ireland at underage level and two have been capped at senior level, not a bad return for an Under 16 group.
Probably a more pressing one given our need in the position is Dennis Cirkin who has started and scored for Sunderland today. Maybe Alan Browne could have a word with him, he would be close to our senior squad at left back.
Lee Harkin is a name I had to check out from that side. If I remember correctly he was doing well underage for Wolves and concerns about an NI defection when he wasn't called up past under 16 were voiced.
Signed for Coleraine last season but is now with Moyola Park AFC.
I was at a few of these games and though harkin was a lovely technical footballer but very small. Bradley was centremid for the North was a standout as was the winger for the North who has since played for rangers. The difference technically back then between Barry and armstrong appeared vast barry really seemed to have all the skills and a great attitude in terrible conditions but light in stature and armstrong seemed to be physically a man but really lacking in skillets. Just shows how difficult talent ID is even at when lads are 16 and playing at elite international level.
I remember they played egan Riley as a holding midfielder and he seemed uncomfortable with it , might be good to have him back in our set up been on bench so far for Burnley
I have no idea about the strength of the links etc, but Jacob Devaney played for Man Utds Youth team tonight against Barnsley in the EFL Trophy. Barnsleys assistant manager is Martin Devaney, the father of Jacob.
A nice moment, but does anyone know more about their Irish links. The Irish twitter pages seem to think the connection is fairly strong but both born in England.
His dad played for us underage. Both his parents were born in Ireland.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Devaney
That's what Wiki says, but his Agent's page has it slightly differently:
"... internationally, he represented The Republic of Ireland in their under 16’s team due to his parents being of Irish descent."
https://mn2s.com/booking-agency/tale...artin-devaney/
(And before anyone imagines I'm stalking him or something, I happen to have prior knowledge of the player, albeit tenuously :cool:)
Having his own goal of the season competition.
I would worry that both Liam Delap and Louie Barry might fall into that category of lads who didn’t have a passport / weren’t on the foreign births register when they played underage for England first.
Obviously Ryan Johansson got around it eventually - but it might not be straightforward for either.
Same with CJ Egan O’Reilly, Michael Golding etc.
Often lads with irish parents, grandparents etc play for the u16s without getting a passport sorted because it’s not competitive.
And until the Luxembourg FA put a protest in, no one knew it was an issue
Would agree in terms of Delap but it would have been straight up negligence to have Barry in at Under 16s and not got his passport sorted at that point. I think we have to work on the basis that he's eligible.
Liam Delap in particular could become ineligible if he plays another game for their U21s if his citizenship situation isn't sorted.
I know Barry is hitting form but their U21s have wingers getting minutes with PL teams and Dortmund. Don't see them calling Barry up and this is his last campaign at U21 level.
Conor Gallagher signed for Atletico this week under an Irish passport to get around the non euro player rules. I wonder will agents advise dual eligible players to get the Irish passport early in case of a move to the continent, which might work in our favor the odd time
Conor Gallagher, Jude Bellingham, Harry Kane - all playing in Europe with Irish passports to avoid non-EU caps
Gallagher is going out with an Irish girl for a good while now too. He's well surrounded.
Delap might already be covered the way his father spoke previously about his - or his aspired - son's Irishness.
Stuff like that does happen where they try make it as easy for the family agent etc initially. Just bring the kid along at 15s 16s and 18s if we think he’s good enough and we’ll worry about the paperwork and so on down the line.
Kinda why something like Taylor Garner Hickman happened