Well, Rickie Lambert played lower league before England and Liverpool, Ashley Williams played non league with Hednesford before Swansea & Wales. Even our own Wes Hoolahan has graced several smaller stages before his recent sojourn in the top club level. And if Williams at Bristol carries his L1 form into the Championship next year, people will be looking at him.
I take your point, and these are exceptions, but we are operating from a small base and these lads only have to move up a level or two to be on our radar, this is our lot and its not going to alter dramatically very soon and it can happen. The option, the alternative is them plummeting through the leagues and out of sight and mind, like Henderson, Clifford and so many more.
Its nice to see them get in a side and lower league contracts are just as hard to come by if in a different way than Prem ones, because budgets are airtight and deals tend to be performance, appearance and result loaded after the basic weekly sum.
I think he means they aren't relevant in terms of becoming credible options at international level, most of them wont, and I agree there with him, but some could, and among the handful we have rebuilding their careers lower down presently, one, maybe two, will play for Ireland at some stage and I enjoy tracking them to see which one does, or looks most like doing. Particularly in terms of weighing up whether it is better to go home to a top LoI side or take their path.
Last edited by CraftyToePoke; 22/04/2015 at 9:19 PM.
That's exactly what I meant and whilst you can add austin to that list I did mean Irish players.
I am just unsure what potential means.it always seems to be potential but I'm not sure to what and it's a thing that is always said and spoken of but then all of a sudden the player is facing the end of his career!
To qualify a bit of my excitement regarding Egan, he hasn't really had a steady partner at centre-half this season. Consequently, he's been a mainstay of their defence whilst being 21/22. That's no mean feat at League One level, or any level. Having seen him play a few times, he strikes me as having a comfort in his touch and foresight in his reading of the game. Couple those with an ability to cope with the physicality of the lower league and maybe this year will do him the world of good.
He might never rise above League One, who knows- many haven't. Crafty refers to Ashley Williams and Ricky Lambert. There's a chap who used to play for the mighty Woking that goes by the name of Harry Arter.
Egan garnered interest at a higher level upon his Sunderland release so a very successful year at Gillingham could re-ignite some of that interest. Hopefully. Hopefully not Blackburn though. Someone else. Duffy needs to establish himself completely there first!
Egan's fifth goal of the season has just consigned Notts County to relegation.
http://www.the42.ie/son-of-former-ke...85705-May2015/
Named Gillingham's Player of the Season.
No surprise there. Would be disappointed if a higher-league team didn't come in for him.
http://www.kentonline.co.uk/medway/s...ble-for-70266/
This one slipped under the radar for me. John Egan was the subject of a rejected deadline day bid from Brentford.
I met him last summer and he was hoping to sort something in the Championship but another year at League One won't have done him any harm. He'll be a very attractive proposition in the summer when he's a free agent. With Gillingham well-poised in third in League One, he's in a fantastic position in the summer- free agent, will have an offer on the table from Gillingham to fall back on and Gillingham may have gained promotion to the Championship anyway.
He only turned 23 in October and is almost a year younger than Shane Duffy, for example. A lot of time on his side for a centre half to climb back up.
Goal for Egan today. Equalizer in a 1-1 draw away to Rochdale.
"visitors levelled when Egan headed in Jermaine McGlashan's right-wing delivery to stay in the top six on goal difference over Barnsley."
I like high energy football. A little bit rock and roll. Many finishes instead of waiting for the perfect one.
Named in L1 team of the season too.
Egan eager for Ireland call-up: http://www.herald.ie/sport/soccer/eg...-34661643.html
Egan speaks proudly of hoping to represent Ireland.
http://www.the42.ie/john-egan-kerry-...56317-May2016/
Has just scored his sixth league goal of the season for Gillingham but it's all in vain as they miss out on the playoffs.
Last edited by TheOneWhoKnocks; 08/05/2016 at 1:30 PM.
His next move will be interesting. Obviously he's going to leave Gillingham now and he'll have lots of options in the Championship as Brentford have been one of the more progressive clubs of recent times with a good recruitment policy so any player they're concretely interested in has to ***** the ears of other clubs at that level, although it appears that his performances over the last two years should have done that anyway. It was a bit disappointing when he left Sunderland but now he has two years of substantial action and experience at League One under his belt at 23 so it might be beneficial in the long-run anyway.
It took me a few moments to figure out what the word under the asterisks was - did you do that yourself or is there now some sort of second-rate automatic censorship software being used on foot.ie? Because in that context, that word is OK, kind of like an old George Carlin joke about how you could and could not use it on American TV in the 1970s
Linked with Wigan, Brentford and signing a new contract with Gillingham today
Rob Brennan thinks he's going to Brentford: https://twitter.com/RobBrennan82/sta...51714888798208
John Egan joining Brentford then. Good move. #COYBIG
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