New players

**citizenerased** · 09/11/2006, 1:01 PM

The infrastructure at grass roots is a disgrace, we should be trying to keep are young players, and blood them in the domestic league..

Look at denmark, who have the same population as ireland and have excellent infrastructure. They keep their young players, and use them to get into europe, and if they want to sell them, they can sell them for a value that is realistic and fair, e.g Dan Agger, Martin Albrachtsen, etc.

Irish clubs are getting rapedd and piliged by english clubs, offering them a measely 50 or 100k for a player who is evidently worth much more.

**CollegeTillIDie** · 13/11/2006, 7:29 AM

Originally Posted by DeNiro

I think there is a phobia in the Irish set up about Irish born youngsters.......I remember in 1992 there was a near outrage when Phil Whelan of Ipswich declared for England, but at the time Jack had Brian Carey and Liam Daish in the set up........................ Paul McCarthy was in the U21s.

De Niro

The reason for chasing eligible English born players was a simple one of numbers. Nowadays, there are not that many people eligible to play for Ireland getting into the first teams of cross channel clubs, because of the influx of players from Europe, Africa and SOuth America into the English leagues.

If the case taken by the G 14 clubs to court, to get compensation for wages from National Associations while their contracted players are on international duty, is successful, we will have an all domestic based national team sooner than people would think. The FAI are not going to fork out multi-thousands, to Premiership clubs in lost wages, for the sort of performances witnessed in Nicosia.

To get back to your point about Phil Whelan, it is interesting to note that neither he, nor Kevin Gallen another famous Irish eligible player who opted for England, ever made it at Senior international level. A salutory lesson to those considering declaring for England.

The only sport where Irish people declaring for England have been continually successful is Rugby Union ... Kyran Bracken springs to mind as a regular international for them.

p.s. As an aside, not all English born players are in that category. Since the late 1960's emigrants returned to these shores, so many people born in Ireland, Australia and America were actually raised and educated here. If I can quote Rugby again as an example Ronan O'Gara I believe was born in San Diego. You're not going to tell me he is a Yank!