There could be a multitude of reasons as to why Irish players either seem generally reluctant or lack a realistic opportunity to move beyond the possible comfort zone of these isles. There might be cultural-linguistic obstacles or they may have a fear of having to adapt to a new all-round footballing style or tradition. The already-existing links between Ireland and English clubs (and their scouts) make it more likely that English clubs will get the "first pick" of developing Irish players in Ireland and so these players become embedded into the English footballing culture from an early age. Their whole careers, they'll have had it drilled into them that "moving across the water to the best league in the world" is the ultimate aspiration. Being under the impression that making it in England equates to playing at the pinnacle level of football globally, the notion of moving further afield might never even have crossed their minds. There's no real tradition of Irish players moving to clubs in continental Europe or beyond; it's an almost alien concept, bar a few rare exceptions. Scouts with links to continental European clubs aren't even common in Ireland, are they?Originally Posted by TheOneWhoKnocks
So, I'm sure it's not just those nagging wives and kids holding our poor lads back in every case... What a terribly sexist comment to make.
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