I don't see evidence of this in terms of providing players who will improve our national side though, do you ? There are lads in and around the squad because we have nothing else, who in years past wouldn't have been in the conversation internationally at all but that is not indicative of a system or quality within a system functioning in this respect IMO. Coleman and Keane before him are a once on a blue moon lucky swing example but overall, how many lads from Bohs / Rovers / Dundalk have gone over and given us international options ?
Clarke / Bolger / McGrath / McMillan / Towell / Boyle / Grant ( a development signing at a struggling Huddersfield which the first team manager wasn't even directly involved in ) / Burke / Horgan ( yes he is in our squads but he has hardly flourished UK side ) all off the top of my head stuck around at those clubs.
Cork before their most recent implosion had a few go over too I think in recent times but I cant remember their names, one to Hull who was on loan in Scotland maybe. Limerick while briefly doing an impression of competence had Ogbene ( ex Cork TBF ) / O'Connor / Cotter & Gaffney go over. The first three got decent Championship moves to Brentford, Leeds & Ipswich but none made it stick at that level.
This is where a relatively small top division of an AIL might in time remedy this or begin to, which I am guessing is why its potentially of interest to both the FAI and IFA because we both have the same problem facing us, diminishing returns from crops sent to England and the leagues as they are, falling short of requisite quality and numbers to improve the two teams on the island.
But that is a whole other conversation
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