U23 Players 2021-22

[tetsujin1979]

Seems George Nunn has a trial at Derby, he played for their U18s earlier in the week, and is lining out for their U23s tonight

[samhaydenjr]

More Irish goal scorers at this level today than there has been in a while:

Firstly, the form Irish goal scorer at U23 level is... Dara Costelloe - turned from defender into rampaging forward, scoring his sixth in nine games as burnley beat West Brom 3-2: https://www.premierleague.com/match/...ey-v-west-brom

Shane Flynn scored Leicester's equaliser in their 2-1 victory over Derby. Louie Watson captained the Rams: https://www.premierleague.com/match/...cester-v-derby

Andrew Moran scored the only goal of the game as Brighton beat Leeds. Even Ferguson played the first half, which makes me wonder: with Brighton safely positioned in eleventh with seven games to go, will we be seeing him get some game time soon? https://www.premierleague.com/match/...albion-v-leeds

Thomas Cannon scored his seventh of the season and his fourth in his last seven games as Everton defeated Chelsea 2-0: https://www.premierleague.com/match/...rton-v-chelsea

[MancIrishWolf]

Another two goals for Lee Harkin making it 5 in 5 in the PL2. Just signed a new contract after being shortlisted for PL2 Player of the Month for March. Campbell who plays alongside him saw PL minutes this month, so wouldn’t be surprised to see him elevated to the first team squad shortly. Concerning he hasn’t been involved with the recent under age squads.

https://www.wolves.co.uk/news/under-...gh-0-3-wolves/

[liamoo11]

Another two goals for Lee Harkin making it 5 in 5 in the PL2. Just signed a new contract after being shortlisted for PL2 Player of the Month for March. Campbell who plays alongside him saw PL minutes this month, so wouldn’t be surprised to see him elevated to the first team squad shortly. Concerning he hasn’t been involved with the recent under age squads.

https://www.wolves.co.uk/news/under-...gh-0-3-wolves/

Harkin played for us at 16s when he was very much in demand after his milk cup performances. He was very light and small and looked lost when he played victory shield on the right of a front three with ollie o neill and louie barry. I imagine he hasn't been involved much since because of the lost 2vyears due to covid and his own physical development.
It's only really last few months he has been scoring goals for wolves 23s since he moved to a central striker a position that conor carty had taken for the first few months of season before injury. Unfortunately his new contract is likely to mean carty will be let go despite them been so different as players. Harkin only got a one year contract which isn't great.

I'd be surprised if he got a first team chance before the end of season wolves seem well stocked with forward type players and chem campbell has been promoted and he has been absolutely flying at harkins level. I think hodge might have a better chance they are short in centre mid and play a 3 . Cundle has played for them who is same age as hodge but was never involved for England at the age group like hodge was so that must be a real motivation for hodge who has been so unfortunate to miss a year with his stress fracture of his back after missing 6 months with his leg break 2 seasons back.

[tetsujin1979]

Shane Flynn's goal is on Twitter here.
He was named on the bench for the senior team a few times last season, but not this season.
If they're prioritising the European run, and they really should, you'd hope to see him involved again before the end of the season

[seanfhear]

Shane Flynn's goal is on Twitter here.
He was named on the bench for the senior team a few times last season, but not this season.
If they're prioritising the European run, and they really should, you'd hope to see him involved again before the end of the season

I like that goal keeper. He knows how to give out a good bollock-ing.

[liamoo11]

hodge goal tonight for 23s

[samhaydenjr]

Apart from Hodge, a few others were involved in goals yesterday:

Cannon and Okoflex both scored in the game between Everton and West Ham: https://www.premierleague.com/match/...ton-v-west-ham

Jamie Bowden scored the only goal in game between Derby and Spurs: https://www.premierleague.com/match/.../derby-v-spurs

Andrew Moran scored his second in two games for Brighton in their 2-1 defeat to Chelsea: https://www.premierleague.com/match/...bion-v-chelsea

Dara Costelloe kept his recent run of goals going with the equaliser in Burnley's 2-1 victory over Aston Villa: https://www.premierleague.com/match/...-v-aston-villa

Killian Philips set up Crystal Palace's consolation against Blackburn: https://www.premierleague.com/match/...crystal-palace

Tony Springett was credited with an assist for Norwich against West brom: https://www.premierleague.com/match/...brom-v-norwich

[liamoo11]

Apart from Hodge, a few others were involved in goals yesterday:

Cannon and Okoflex both scored in the game between Everton and West Ham: https://www.premierleague.com/match/...ton-v-west-ham

Jamie Bowden scored the only goal in game between Derby and Spurs: https://www.premierleague.com/match/.../derby-v-spurs

Andrew Moran scored his second in two games for Brighton in their 2-1 defeat to Chelsea: https://www.premierleague.com/match/...bion-v-chelsea

Dara Costelloe kept his recent run of goals going with the equaliser in Burnley's 2-1 victory over Aston Villa: https://www.premierleague.com/match/...-v-aston-villa

Killian Philips set up Crystal Palace's consolation against Blackburn: https://www.premierleague.com/match/...crystal-palace

Tony Springett was credited with an assist for Norwich against West brom: https://www.premierleague.com/match/...brom-v-norwich

Flynn clarke with the goals for Norwich on board with us now as well I think

[tetsujin1979]

Guy that follows me on instagram says he knows Harkin's parents and he's not going to change allegiance
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cc8v3dgsCyo (read the comments)

[Eirambler]

The football talent scout on twitter (@ftalentscout) had a thing today on all the young Irish players coming through, focusing on those born after 2001.

https://twitter.com/FTalentScout/sta...ZV4v2hRBg&s=19

I wouldn't necessarily agree with the order he has listed some of the players in, but it's good to see the upturn in terms of young Irish players coming through being noticed abroad (the guy who runs the page is Polish).

In terms of dual eligible players he mentions someone called Bryan O'Shangnessy, I honestly don't know who that is.

Also noticed in the comments Rocco Vata's mother posted that Kevin Zefi and Justin Ferizaj aren't actually related, I thought they were cousins. Very random then that three unrelated lads with links to the same town in Albania have all ended up playing on the same underage team for Ireland.

[tetsujin1979]

Is he related to Daniel and Patrick O'Shaughnessy?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_O%27Shaughnessy

[liamoo11]

Guy that follows me on instagram says he knows Harkin's parents and he's not going to change allegiance
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cc8v3dgsCyo (read the comments)

Yeah I think at the time he scored those goals against utd in milk cup the story was that his family were big republic supporters regularly went to games at the aviva

[elatedscum]

The football talent scout on twitter (@ftalentscout) had a thing today on all the young Irish players coming through, focusing on those born after 2001.

https://twitter.com/FTalentScout/sta...ZV4v2hRBg&s=19

I wouldn't necessarily agree with the order he has listed some of the players in, but it's good to see the upturn in terms of young Irish players coming through being noticed abroad (the guy who runs the page is Polish).

In terms of dual eligible players he mentions someone called Bryan O'Shangnessy, I honestly don't know who that is.

Also noticed in the comments Rocco Vata's mother posted that Kevin Zefi and Justin Ferizaj aren't actually related, I thought they were cousins. Very random then that three unrelated lads with links to the same town in Albania have all ended up playing on the same underage team for Ireland.

Lipsiuc is the name that stands out there. Good player and all but in terms of midfielders, in 2005, I'd have Ferizaj and Murphy ahead, in 2004, I'd have Coleman and McJannett, in 2003, Henry-Francis and Lawal if he's playing midfield, in 2002, Hodge and Phillips, in 2001, Connell, Johansson, Devoy. Leaving aside the more attacking players like Knight, Vata, Finn, Leavy, Noss, Tierney, McEneff etc etc

[Olé Olé]

Yeah I think at the time he scored those goals against utd in milk cup the story was that his family were big republic supporters regularly went to games at the aviva

It is quite obvious from his social media that he is an Irishman. I noted even his missus seems to be obviously Irish too. If I were cynical I'd say the article linking him to NI was intended to put pressure on him. And I think a lot of concerned Ireland supporters, myself included, probably have a sub conscious free state lens that we read some of these things through.

[liamoo11]

Lipsiuc is the name that stands out there. Good player and all but in terms of midfielders, in 2005, I'd have Ferizaj and Murphy ahead, in 2004, I'd have Coleman and McJannett, in 2003, Henry-Francis and Lawal if he's playing midfield, in 2002, Hodge and Phillips, in 2001, Connell, Johansson, Devoy. Leaving aside the more attacking players like Knight, Vata, Finn, Leavy, Noss, Tierney, McEneff etc etc

The list from that twitter account s a bit ridiculous it's just a collection of players from our under age national squads sure every year we have the same number of players playing for our national underage sides it is in no way an indication of their level versus their European or international counterparts.

This season has been a particular disappointment in reality with the failure to progress to 17s and 19s finals which we had been doing fairly frequently certainly at 17s recently. We are a long way from the successful days of winning European 16s and 18s and getting 3rd at 20s World Cup like we did 20 odd years ago.

There is some awful naivity around thinking that a few lads signing for Italian or French clubs or been linked to European clubs is some kind of indication we are producing more skilful footballers than previously

I don't see many in our underage set up to match the raw talent levels of previous underage players who were all of a similar generation like mcphail, partridge, dunne, duff, robbie keane Andy Reid, Liam Miller, o shea, stokes , barrett or Darren gibson. If brexit existed back then all of those would have been at top European clubs academies

[Jd2793]

Lipsiuc is the name that stands out there. Good player and all but in terms of midfielders, in 2005, I'd have Ferizaj and Murphy ahead, in 2004, I'd have Coleman and McJannett, in 2003, Henry-Francis and Lawal if he's playing midfield, in 2002, Hodge and Phillips, in 2001, Connell, Johansson, Devoy. Leaving aside the more attacking players like Knight, Vata, Finn, Leavy, Noss, Tierney, McEneff etc etc

connell? johansson? mceneff looks out of place in loi. some of the names thrown about are mad lads. players who are no where near the level now and never will be.

[Eirambler]

This season has been a particular disappointment in reality with the failure to progress to 17s and 19s finals which we had been doing fairly frequently certainly at 17s recently. We are a long way from the successful days of winning European 16s and 18s and getting 3rd at 20s World Cup like we did 20 odd years ago.

There is some awful naivity around thinking that a few lads signing for Italian or French clubs or been linked to European clubs is some kind of indication we are producing more skilful footballers than previously

I don't see many in our underage set up to match the raw talent levels of previous underage players who were all of a similar generation like mcphail, partridge, dunne, duff, robbie keane Andy Reid, Liam Miller, o shea, stokes , barrett or Darren gibson. If brexit existed back then all of those would have been at top European clubs academies

I agree about some people getting carried away because a few lads are moving to big European clubs. Most won't make the grade the same way most didn't make the grade when big English clubs were the destination.

I'm not so sure I agree with the negative comparison to the 1997 and 1998 teams though. Those teams covered the best players we produced from about 1977 up to 1983 and, while they were successful underage teams, most didn't go on to achieve much in professional football afterwards.

If you look at it in terms of senior international caps that Under 20 team only went on to win 102 caps between them, and 100 of those were Damien Duff. Similarly Robbie Keane won more caps than the rest of that Under 18 team put together (even allowing for Richard Dunne being part of it) and John O'Shea won more senior caps than the rest of the Under 16s put together.

There wasn't actually massive depth in those squads, I think there's more depth in terms of players emerging now - especially in the 1999 to 2002 age groups, who I'd say will go on to win more caps between them than those three Brian Kerr teams combined.

[liamoo11]

I agree about some people getting carried away because a few lads are moving to big European clubs. Most won't make the grade the same way most didn't make the grade when big English clubs were the destination.

I'm not so sure I agree with the negative comparison to the 1997 and 1998 teams though. Those teams covered the best players we produced from about 1977 up to 1983 and, while they were successful underage teams, most didn't go on to achieve much in professional football afterwards.

If you look at it in terms of senior international caps that Under 20 team only went on to win 102 caps between them, and 100 of those were Damien Duff. Similarly Robbie Keane won more caps than the rest of that Under 18 team put together (even allowing for Richard Dunne being part of it) and John O'Shea won more senior caps than the rest of the Under 16s put together.

There wasn't actually massive depth in those squads, I think there's more depth in terms of players emerging now - especially in the 1999 to 2002 age groups, who I'd say will go on to win more caps between them than those three Brian Kerr teams combined.

I think the depth argument is reasonable but if the best players from that generation of 4 to 5 years were better than the best players of the current generation and still didn't achieve a huge amount at senior level then that's even more reason to be realistic about our up and coming players.

[Eirambler]

I think the three Kerr youth squads produced four absolute stalwarts in Dunne, O'Shea, Duff and Keane, but after that I just think they were a bit overrated. Players from those squads should have been around for the 2002 WC early in their careers and Euro 2012 towards the end of their careers. But outside of those four I don't think anyone else from any of those three underage teams made the senior squads for those tournaments. I just don't think there was actually much depth of quality there outside of the obvious four - Kerr massively overachieved with them I think.