QuoteHe was for sure. Bear it mind it was a friendly and Duff was given the space and an opponent similar to that Denmark friendly.Originally Posted by colster
Duff to Spurs in the Summer.
In Trap we trust
He was for sure. Bear it mind it was a friendly and Duff was given the space and an opponent similar to that Denmark friendly.
Ireland's next superstar? Keep your eyes on Steven Reid.
Kevin Doyle, winner of the PFA award for the Championship
might he not rise to the top in the Premiership too?
I would've thought Steven Reid going back a few years ago. But I think he's found his level.
I'd like to see Garvan keep below the radar at Ipswich for another season or two rather than run the risk of warming the bench at a mediocre premiership club. He's still very young. I also think we forget how young McGeady is.
Next Superstar? Hard to say. Sure they'll never be considered a superstar unless they're playing for one of the big four of their respective eras.
Mentioning Rooney is setting the bar very high,even with the hype he is a genius.How about Stokes at the Gunners or young Nolan at Blackburn?
I'm sure Kevin Thornton thinks it's himself...
Funny thread. There's about 50 players in the world at level you're talking about (Keane before hand, Rooney now - I'll leave the ashley cole one alone) and that being generous. Ireland has no right to expect another one for a while.
54,321 sold - wws will never die - ***
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Yeah, pretty funny.
To me superstar means a Ronaldinho, a Zidane, Sheva etc, etc.
We sure as sch!t don't have any of those.
We don't even have an up and coming one of those, i.e a Messi, a Fabregas, a Rooney etc etc.
Don't get me wrong. I also think he's had a good season. And I also think he's the raw attributes to rival the top midfeilders in England. I've been hyping him for a couple of years on various message boards. But I don't think from what I've seen he has the bottle to be the driving force at a big club. His injuries aside he still took too long for my liking to settle at Blackburn, so in a couldron like Old Trafford I fear he could suffer the same fate as Miller not to mention many other big name midfielders over the years. He could defo do the donkey work for a seasoned midfeilder but I don't think he could take the reigns in the middle at a club like United.
I've an awful lot of time for him as a player but I think he's found his level at Blackburn. He's playing well. The teams going in the right direction. Why rock the boat when we've so few regular first team premiership players. While I wouldn't begrudge him a move or step up I hope he stays.
Maybe I didn’t express what I intended to clearly in my original posts (wouldn’t be the first time). I am not saying a nation the size of Ireland has any divine right to churn out players of the ilk of Keane, Duff, Given etc continuosly. I am merely pointing out that it has been some time since a young player has come through and given me the feeling that they will reach the very top. That managers such as Ferguson, Wenger, Mourinho etc will all be scrambling for the chequebook or alternatively discussing how they don’t want to expose them to too much too soon (the true sign of a world class talent emerging).
It wasn’t meant to be a demand that we roll out the Shevchenko’s, Ronaldinhio’s etc every other year.
As for McGeady, I’ve got to be honest I don’t know what all the fuss is about. I’ve kept pretty quiet on the subject since his arrival on the scene a few years ago, but I’m yet to be hit by what it is that McGeady can offer at the top level. I really hope I am wrong, but I am starting to think it is a romantic notion that a young Irish international comes good out of everyone’s favourite other team. It hasn’t been six months where he has failed to consistently perform, it’s been two years. He has had fits and starts and not really much else.
To compare him to Duff is to fail to acknowledge the undeniable impact Duff had in the Premiership at a similar age. Everyone was convinced about Duff. You just knew he would be close to World Class. He just had to grow up a bit. I hope this is the case with McGeady, but given the quality of players he is up against for selection and also those he is playing against week in week out, ten starts this season for a very average Celtic side is not filling me with hope.
The comparisons with Keane are also not really fair. Once Keane was in any side he played in post 16 years of age, he stayed there. He made a massive impact, became the main man and then moved on until he reached the very top. The same can be said of the vast majority of the other top drawer professionals floating about (Gerrard, Lampard etc).
We are all guilty of looking at players like McPhail, Colin Healy, Dominic Foley etc and wondering/hoping they will be the next big thing, but history seems to be teaching us that for every player that goes to the very top, there are another 20 (?) that break into the first team, make 20 appearances, get proclaimed the next big thing and then end up at Doncaster in their mid twenties. Is this the fate of Stephen Ireland, Aiden McGeady, Joey O’Brien etc.
Personally I’m liking what I’ve heard of Garvan. He doesn’t seem to be suffering from the old ‘is a bit lightweight and needs to hit gym scenario’ that prevails. But who actually knows?
So my question purely was, who is the next one? Is there a next one?
mcgeady is not careful he will be on the same boat to nowhere as Andy Turner an Alan Moore and Moore had more talent than McGeady could dream off. I feel sorry for McGeady struggling to get into a side the equivlient of a moderate premiership club like Aston Villa and nobody would be saying a 20 year old that could'nt get into a side like that as our next superstar. (to many people seeing through green mists). He should have come on by now. He will probably be an ok pro like Alan Quinn.
We have some exceptional players already, Duff Given and Robbie all of whom would get picked on an Irish all time eleven. That is more than most international teams have. I hope Kevin Doyle can progress and join these three superstars
I think with is attitude he will. I can't see anyone joing this band in the next 3 years
forgot to say I think Doyle can be as good as Thierry Henry
Until you see Maloney and Nakamura play I don't think you can make statements like that. McGeady has to fight with them for a place and atm I wouldn't have Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of either. Maybe I'm biased, I don't know. Real Madrid had agreed a fee for Nakamura after they won the Champions League in 2002. Maloney has just come back from 2 years out and won SPL Players player of the year in his first full year. They're really outstanding players and you'll find that out when they play in the CL next season.
McGeady had a bad start to the Strachan era. He was the only player to play in all the pre-season friendlies and I can't remember him having a good game. Strachan dropped him for Maloney and ever since he has been trying to break into the team. He got injured at the worst time possible. He had just came off the bench and single handedly won a match for Celtic in January only to get injured and has only recovered from that injury in the past 2 weeks. If you actually seen McGeady play since Strachan dropped him you'd know he is not going to become an Andy Turner. His determination to actually win the ball by tracking back is second to none for a winger. His work rate is excellent.
He even has players trying to do his tricks:
http://rapidshare.de/files/18511624/..._JuLo.avi.html
Last edited by eirebhoy; 27/04/2006 at 12:01 PM.
Why can't he hack it in Scotland? He plays well in 60-70% of matches. All he needs is consistancy but Strachan is definitely the best man for him.
If you asked people what McGeady could improve on most, the majority would say his end product. McGeady got 6 goals and 11 assists in 25 starts last season. For an 18 year old in their first full season that seems a pretty decent return. He beats his opponent so easily that he will get himself free 5 or 6 times in a match. A goal might only come from one of those chances as his final ball is usually below par. While his goal/assist to game ratio is quite could, it should be much higher considering how easy he finds it to leave his man for dead.
Just to give me an excuse to post a McGeady video, this was McGeady's last game before injury in January. Celtic were drawing 1-1 when he came on. He scored, laid a goal on a plate for Hartson and hit the bar in his 30 minutes on the pitch.
http://media.putfile.com/McGeady-v-Motherwell
He probably would have got a decent run in the team after that cameo but as I said, injury couldn't have come at a worse time. Next season is a big season, I'd be very suprised if he doesn't cement a place in the Celtic team by then.
On current form Robbie Keane already is
And Thierry Henry can't do a cartwheel to save his life
If you alter the question to superstar by Irish standards, a first choice top notch player for our team like Stapleton or Robbie Keane then doesn't it look like Kevin Doyle is most likely to emerge.
Doyle has had a meteoric rise similar to what Robbie had with Wolves
His star is still rising, will play premier next season.
Most crucially hasn't been cursed with the next Brady comparison.
He is very confident, a goal scorer, one whoose manager values him the most from the forward line.
If Reading did not make it to the epl you could imagine there would be quite a few clubs sniffing around.
more on Adam Rooney, apologies if already posted, from the Stoke board;
Rooney making a name for himself
Mention the name Rooney around Stoke-on-Trent right now and thoughts of an England striker preparing to carry the hopes of a nation on his squat shoulders in this summer's World Cup finals in Germany couldn't be further from the mind.
The only Rooney in town in the Potteries is called Adam, not Wayne. City have their very own talent-filled forward with an eye for goal, as well as a trick up his sleeve - and one who has not been afraid to take the step up into senior football in his stride.
The 18-year-old - two years younger than his famous namesake - has set tongues wagging around the Britannia Stadium since his arrival from his native Ireland last summer and his first senior goal against Premiership-bound Reading recently only served to boost his growing reputation.
City may have lost the Easter encounter 3-1, but the goal midway through the second-half potentially offered a brief glimpse of the future.
If the teenager can build on the progress of his first-year in English soccer next season then something special could be on the cards.
The irony of the goal at Reading's Madejski Stadium was not lost on the young Irishman, who had a trial at the West Berkshire club before joining the Potters last August.
He recalls: "There were a few clubs showing an interest like Nottingham Forest and Reading, which was why I was so pleased to score the goal, and I also had a trial at West Ham, but Stoke showed the most interest in me and my ability and that was important to me.
"I know someone in Ireland who is linked with Stoke quite a bit and he had asked me to come over a couple of months before I did but I was just too busy.
"But when I had these other trials I thought I may as well link up with Stoke while I was over here.
"On the first day I played a friendly, got on the pitch and scored so I think I made a bit of an impression there. I just really liked the club, the people and the manager.
"The youth coach Noel Blake was probably the main reason I signed. The moment he walked out onto the training ground when I was on my trial, and I listened to what he had to say, I knew was a great coach. I hadn't seen another coach like him and I knew he would bring on my game like I wanted to."
Things have moved on at a lightning pace for a young player who made his club debut at three levels - Academy, reserve and first-team in less than nine months, culminating in that most special of moments at the Madejski Stadium?his first senior goal.
Adam Rooney celebrates his first senior goal. ACTION IMAGES
"Hopefully their will be a few more to come in the future - but I was more disappointed with the result than the fact that I'd scored because we ended up losing. It took the shine off it a little bit really.
"I was dying to celebrate it big-style because my mum and dad were behind that goal with all the Stoke fans.
"But as soon as it went in I realised we were still losing so I just ran back to our half and tried to carry on playing to see if I could do it again. But in the end the goal was wasted because they scored pretty much straight after I had.
"Afterwards I had more time to reflect on it and was absolutely delighted to get it so soon in my career at Stoke but my overriding emotion was that we had lost, which is unfortunate.
"Hopefully I'll get another chance and score when we win. If I manage to score a winning goal then even better."
Manager Johan Boskamp's insistence to blood City's Academy stars towards the latter end of the season has given Rooney, as well as many others, the chance to shine on the big stage.
But his re-appearance on the team sheet recently was no surprise after making an instant impact on his senior debut back in January.
The FA Cup Third Round clash with Conference side Tamworth was nearing a harrowing end with City 1-0 down and running out of time in the replay at The Lamb, when Adam was sent on to give City extra firepower.
With his first touch, he set up Paul Gallagher to score the equaliser in a tie eventually won on penalties, but the Ulsterman reveals the night will live long in his memory for a variety of reasons.
"The match was on the Tuesday and I got a phone call on the Saturday night from Noel Blake saying that I would be involved with the squad and would be travelling.
"All I knew was that I would be travelling with the squad - I didn't even think I would be on the bench. It was only a day or so before the game so I didn't really get the chance for any nerves to build up.
"I can't even remember what I was thinking when I was told I was going on. The gaffer just said to warm up so I just thought he was saying it to keep warm in case I had to go on for an injury or just to take up some time at the end of the match.
"But when I was stretching by the bench he let me know I was going on so I just got changed - I didn't have enough time to think about it. But its great being around the first team at all, it's a dream come true really."
And that dream was looking like becoming fantasy last month when, while playing for the Republic of Ireland Under 18's, national manager Steve Staunton expressed his admiration for the youngster
"In the last internationals we played against Hungary a few weeks ago, Staunton came in and talked to me before and after the game.
"So it is good to make a good impression and score goals while he's around because a spot in the full international squad is my ultimate aim.
With admirers at that level, the name Adam Rooney could soon be household one just like Manchester United's Wayne - and the future is certainly looking bright for City's very own potential superstar.
Courtesy Stoke City website
Adam Rooney has just banged in a hattrick for Stoke away to Brighton. This kid must be something special.
"Love many, trust few, always paddle your own canoe." Dillo
Swallows and summers spring to mind. Or straw-clutching.
It's best to wait until he's had a consistently high-performing season at this level before making those kind of pronouncements, no?
PP
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