Irish Players signed by non-UK managers - A Report

**TheOneWhoKnocks** · 13/01/2017, 2:58 PM

I wonder how many Irish players have been signed by foreign managers since the inception of the Premier League?

Duff. I'm sure there's got to be one or two more.

Every time an Irish player is linked with a PL team it's managed by a Brit.

Funny Leicester are managed by Ranieri. He's the man who signed Duff.

**tetsujin1979** · 13/01/2017, 3:35 PM

Originally Posted by TheOneWhoKnocks

I wonder how many Irish players have been signed by foreign managers since the inception of the Premier League?

Duff. I'm sure there's got to be one or two more.

Every time an Irish player is linked with a PL team it's managed by a Brit.

Funny Leicester are managed by Ranieri. He's the man who signed Duff.

If only there were a list of transfers you could use to research this.

Oh wait, there is!
It's on wikipedia (where else) and starts with the summer 2002 transfer window: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...rs_summer_2002
Links for the following windows at the bottom of the page under "English football transfer lists"

I, for one, await your report on "Foreign* managers who signed Irish players for Premier League clubs" with extreme anticipation

*I'm assuming here that foreign refers to non-UK nationals - does that mean that Dave O'Leary signing Robbie Keane for Leeds counts as a "foreign" manager?

**TheOneWhoKnocks** · 13/01/2017, 4:07 PM

I will report back with my findings once I get on my laptop.

**CraftyToePoke** · 13/01/2017, 4:25 PM

Originally Posted by TheOneWhoKnocks

I will report back with my findings once I get on my laptop.

Will you also be looking at Irish players signed by Irish managers in that time in the leagues you look into ?

**Closed Account** · 13/01/2017, 4:44 PM

Originally Posted by TheOneWhoKnocks

I will report back with my findings once I get on my laptop.

Don't bother your hole, McCarthy signed by Martinez (x2), Long by Koeman, Keane by Benitez.... there's probably not much more but there's nothing xenophobic or sinister about it,
managers will generally sign players they are familiar with. Keano in Sunderland a good example.

**CraftyToePoke** · 13/01/2017, 4:51 PM

Originally Posted by joe_denilson

Don't bother your hole

Jaysus Joe, why don't you tell him what you really think

I was subtly hinting at it above but nothing like a sledge to a peanut.

**TheOneWhoKnocks** · 13/01/2017, 5:16 PM

Originally Posted by joe_denilson

Don't bother your hole, McCarthy signed by Martinez (x2), Long by Koeman, Keane by Benitez.... there's probably not much more but there's nothing xenophobic or sinister about it,
managers will generally sign players they are familiar with. Keano in Sunderland a good example.

Martinez spent virtually his entire playing and managerial career in Britain and is married to a Scottish woman, but point taken.

Long wasn't signed by Koeman. That signing was negotiated before he arrived at the club.

I'm pretty sure the Keane signing went over Benitez head, hence the reason he was treated like crap by him. I'm open to correction on that though.

**tetsujin1979** · 13/01/2017, 5:27 PM

Originally Posted by joe_denilson

Don't bother your hole, McCarthy signed by Martinez (x2), Long by Koeman, Keane by Benitez.... there's probably not much more but there's nothing xenophobic or sinister about it,
managers will generally sign players they are familiar with. Keano in Sunderland a good example.

language, dear boy.

**paul_oshea** · 13/01/2017, 5:29 PM

TOWK draw up the list anyway.

**BonnieShels** · 14/01/2017, 4:00 PM

Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

If only there were a list of transfers you could use to research this.

Oh wait, there is!
It's on wikipedia (where else) and starts with the summer 2002 transfer window: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...rs_summer_2002
Links for the following windows at the bottom of the page under "English football transfer lists"

I, for one, await your report on "Foreign* managers who signed Irish players for Premier League clubs" with extreme anticipation

*I'm assuming here that foreign refers to non-UK nationals - does that mean that Dave O'Leary signing Robbie Keane for Leeds counts as a "foreign" manager?

Well Dave was born in London...

*wonders if he passes gut test?*

**Closed Account** · 14/01/2017, 4:13 PM

Originally Posted by TheOneWhoKnocks

Martinez spent virtually his entire playing and managerial career in Britain and is married to a Scottish woman, but point taken.

Long wasn't signed by Koeman. That signing was negotiated before he arrived at the club.

I'm pretty sure the Keane signing went over Benitez head, hence the reason he was treated like crap by him. I'm open to correction on that though.

I'd cite this as an example why you get in so many arguments in here TOWK. Presented with 3 answers which are all undeniable facts to a question you posed, you find a way to asterisk each example to back up some pre conceived argument you have.

The fact that 65% of Premier League managers are 'foreign' means that yes, Irish players being signed by them will be in the minority.

**TheOneWhoKnocks** · 15/01/2017, 1:33 PM

Originally Posted by joe_denilson

I'd cite this as an example why you get in so many arguments in here TOWK. Presented with 3 answers which are all undeniable facts to a question you posed, you find a way to asterisk each example to back up some pre conceived argument you have.

The fact that 65% of Premier League managers are 'foreign' means that yes, Irish players being signed by them will be in the minority.

Long wasn't signed by Koeman.

"Keane the victim as Benítez battles for control of transfer policy at Liverpool" (Guardian). Doesn't sound like Benitez was instrumental in Keane's signing.

What I said about Martinez is the only thing that makes me sound stubborn, I freely admit that, but he has spent almost half his life and virtually his entire senior football career in Britain. So it's not the same as Marco Silva or Aitor Karanka.

Yes Irish players will be in the minority, of course, but you can't tell me there aren't English/Scottish players from the lower leagues on a similar level to Hendrick, Brady, Hourihane, Judge, Doherty and Cunningham being snapped up by foreign managers on a pretty steady basis compared to their Irish colleagues.

Every time an Irish player seems to be heavily linked with a PL team it seems to be managed by Dyche, Allardyce, Moyes or Bruce.

It's getting to the point where the only way an Irish player will get a chance at that level is if they are promoted.

**TheOneWhoKnocks** · 15/01/2017, 1:34 PM

Okay.

I'm researching Irish players signed by foreign managers in the PL since approx. 1993 starting now.

I will edit this post as I go on.

#1 Steve Finnan was signed by Gerard Houllier; #2 Steven Reid signed by Roberto Di Matteo; #3 Andy Reid was signed by Martin Jol; #4 Andy O'Brien was signed by Alain Perrin; #5 James McCarthy was signed by Roberto Martinez; #6 Conor Sammon was signed by Roberto Martinez; #7 Aiden McGeady was signed by Roberto Martinez; #8 Damien Duff was signed by Claudio Ranieri, #9 Robbie Keane was signed by Rafael Benitez; #10 Shane Long by Ronald Koeman

10 players.

**Closed Account** · 15/01/2017, 1:53 PM

Originally Posted by TheOneWhoKnocks

Long wasn't signed by Koeman.

Look I agreed with you from the beginning, and me giving 3 more examples to the Duff transfer was basically what you said anyway. 4 example on 20 years proves your point.

Why wasn't Long signed by Koeman.? He was the 7th transfer by Southampton, 2 months after Koeman took over and out of the blue according to Long. I just don't see how you can't say he was signed by Koeman? Similarly with Keane. Benitez was manager when he signed, ipso facto, he was signed by Benitez. Whatever about everything going on in the background.

**Closed Account** · 15/01/2017, 2:02 PM

Originally Posted by TheOneWhoKnocks

What I said about Martinez is the only thing that makes me sound stubborn, I freely admit that, but he has spent almost half his life and virtually his entire senior football career in Britain. So it's not the same as Marco Silva or Aitor Karaoke.

So what you're saying is that a Managers nationality has nothing to do with it, managers buy players from leagues they are familiar with. Managers coming from continental leagues, are less likely to sign Irish players from the Championship, a league they are not familiar with, regardless of the managers nationality. Yes I agree with you and can see a very clear logic behind it. You probably should have said that at the beginning.

**tetsujin1979** · 15/01/2017, 2:04 PM

Is this study going to be limited to players signed by English clubs only?
Robbie Keane to LA Galaxy, Doyle to Colorado, Duff to Melbourne, Sheridan to Bulgaria, etc. All Irish players signed by non-UK managers

**TheOneWhoKnocks** · 15/01/2017, 2:21 PM

Originally Posted by joe_denilson

Look I agreed with you from the beginning, and me giving 3 more examples to the Duff transfer was basically what you said anyway. 4 example on 20 years proves your point.

Why wasn't Long signed by Koeman.? He was the 7th transfer by Southampton, 2 months after Koeman took over and out of the blue according to Long. I just don't see how you can't say he was signed by Koeman? Similarly with Keane. Benitez was manager when he signed, ipso facto, he was signed by Benitez. Whatever about everything going on in the background.

I remember reading at the time that Les Reed was responsible for recruiting Long, not Koeman. But yes, he was signed under Koeman's reign. My bad.