Quote:
Originally Posted by
Charlie Darwin
Chris Ramsey is slowly blooding Irish underage strikers at QPR. Does he have an Irish mammy? Ryan Manning will be next hopefully.
Ramsey previously worked with the underage sides, alongside former Irish underage cap Steve Gallen
There was an interview with Gallen in the Irish Post a few years ago that mentioned him finding Irish links for their players. I can't find the article on the Irish Post's website, but it's reproduced here: http://www.indyrs.co.uk/2013/04/stev...estside-story/
Quote:
He[Gallen] estimates that 30 per cent of the QPR fan base has some link to Ireland. I ask how many of the players in the youth team can play for Ireland. “Too many. They are basically half saying to me, ‘Are you taking the p*ss ? How many Irish are at this club ?’ Because don’t worry I can sniff them out, I sniff them out alright.”
“You’ve got Frankie Sutherland and Michael Harriman who are in and around the U21 squad. Bradley Simmonds can play for Ireland. Jamie Sendles-White qualifies for the Republic and the North, his Mum is from Belfast. Younger down, Nathan Corkery, an attacking midfielder and Reece Cox, a striker, both play for Ireland.”
Of the other players he mentions there:
- Michael Harriman is still at QPR, has U21 caps for Ireland, and has spent this season on loan at Luton
- Bradley Simmonds went on to play in Iceland, but seems to have retired from football - he was with Hampton & Richmond Borough F.C. in the Isthmian league until last season, but I can't find any club for him this season - and is now a personal trainer according to his twitter bio: https://twitter.com/bradley_simmo
- Jamie Sendles-White is playing for Northern Ireland U21s, the most recent appearance I can find was against Serbia last September: http://www.irishfa.com/news/item/928...a-u21s-latest/
- Nathan Corkery is still with QPR, and played for the Ireland U18s against Portugal last December: http://www.fai.ie/ireland/match/55505/2015/999941353 Also, he turned 18 last Thursday, happy birthday!
- Reece Grego-Cox is also still with QPR, having recently made his debut for them in the Premier League, and played for the U19's in the elite qualifiers last week
There's an interview with Gallen in the Brent & Kilburn Times from a month ago here: http://www.kilburntimes.co.uk/sport/...team_1_3988787
It's quite long, but worth a read, here are some relevant excerpts
on Ryan Manning
Quote:
He said: “I think Ryan struggled when he moved over here in January.
“It is a bit of a culture shock to move from the west of Ireland to west London, but in the last few weeks he looks more settled and has the confidence to now show why the club paid a fee for him. He’s only the second Under-21 player after Coll Donaldson that the club have paid a fee for.
“Let’s remember, though, that at 18 Ryan is still a kid trying to make his way in the game, but he’s tough, can run, will compete and has a quality left foot.
“I wouldn’t be surprised to see Ryan and Cole Kpekawa play for the first team before the end of the season.
On Reece Grego-Cox
Quote:
He said: “I’ve got an awful lot of time for Reece. He’s a lovely kid, he’s a triplet actually and very close to his brother and sister.
“The boy is strong, he seriously punches above his weight. As my Dad would say, ‘he’s a tough skin that one’.
“He has scored a lot of goals and I think he will be involved more in the first team this season.”
and on Ryan Manning, who Gallen pushed QPR to sign when he was released by Forest (more on that here: http://www.kilburntimes.co.uk/sport/...nnon_1_3890142)
Quote:
Gallen said: “I think being released by Forest did have an impact on Jake. It probably knocked his confidence a bit but he has great ability.
“He has been missing because because of an injury and he hasn’t been able to complete 90 minutes yet. I had planned to start him against Charlton on Monday but we had the likes of Junior Hoilett and Niko Kranjcar in the team.
“Jake did well when he came off the bench. In training he can look like a world beater, but he can also look poor.
“I’m going to work hard with Jake and he will work hard to make sure he is a world beater more often and to push up being poor to being average.
“He just needs some more time.”
