Playing for 90
Fansided

Ireland’s Rising Stars

By Kevin Kelly

The Aviva Stadium (via Wikmedia Commons).
The Aviva Stadium (via Wikmedia Commons). /
facebooktwitterreddit

Being an enthusiast of youth football from Ireland I’m often asked who the best Irish players are currently playing in England’s top academies today. Every year players dreams come true as they’re top a cub in England wants to sign them. Often players will have to leave school after completing their Junior Certificate Examinations, leave their friends and family, and move to England to try and realise their dreams.

Growing up I played alongside many players who had realistic aspirations to ‘make it’ and make the move to England. From the outside looking in, it seems a draining business, but sometimes, for the very select few, the move is successful. Being scouted means you get a trial, being successful at the trial means your signed, soon you move up the ranks in the academy and before you know it you make your Premier League debut. That’s the dream, and the reality, for the very select few.

Here we try to gauge which rising Irish stars are next to realise their dreams.

Michael Drennan

According to Aston Villa’s academy boss Bryan Jones, Michael Drennan “scores goals for fun”. He’s not wrong, either. The 19-year-old scored six goals in the 2012/13 Next Gen series, firing Aston Villa to glory as they won The Next Gen Series – an elite youth football tournament which ran for two years until this season where it took a year long sabbatical due to a lack of funding.

Already a goal machine in the Premier League’s academy and reserve league, the Kilkenny native has scored against some of the best youth academies in Europe this season.

Goals have come against Sporting Lisbon (who have produced Figo, Nani and Cristiano Ronaldo in the past), Celtic and PSV in the group stages.

Drennan also played an influential role in the Round of 16, scoring the crucial equaliser against the renowned youth team of Ajax in a 2 – 1 win. The Amsterdam side had reached the final of last season’s tournament.

The talented youngster currently represents Ireland at U19 level, but with the technical knowledge gained from playing against Europe’s best young players, the hope is that he can progress to the senior ranks for club and country in the near future.

Graham Burke

Drennan’s team-mate and countryman has been another key figure for Aston Villa in this season’s Next Gen series. The Dubliner has netted three times, including a brace in a 5 – 1 thrashing of PSV Eindhoven.

Burke, who will turn 20 in September, he has already made his senior debut for Aston Villa this season, coming on as a sub in the League Cup back in August, following in the footsteps of Ireland U21 international Samir Carruthers who made the step up to the first team after starring in last season’s Next Gen tournament.

More from Euro 2016

Jack Byrne

Jack Byrne, who grew up in Ballybough, in Dublin’s City centre, now plies his trade for the richest football club in the world – Manchester City.  Byrne is one of many who have come through the illustrious St. Kevins Boys production line.

Byrne, who has been prominent in many Irish youth squads, most recently scoring in Ireland U-17s 1-1 draw with Serbia in a European U17 Championship qualifier. Byrne plays in the centre of midfield and joined Man City’s academy in 2011 as a 16 year old. A dead ball specialist too, he’s one to watch out for.

Byrne recently spoke to Joe.ie about moving to Manchester City and how daunting it was initially.

‘‘When I first came over it was unbelievable. For my first year I was kind of in awe of the whole thing. But now I think I am getting used to it. When you first come over all you think about is football, football, football but then you can start to get homesick and stuff like that but I think it is something you grow out of.’’

Ryan McLaughlin

In 2011 Liverpool signed the Belfast native Ryan McLaughlin from Glenavon where he had already become the clubs standout player. In July 2012, McLaughlin was one of a number of youngsters selected to travel with the senior squad on the team’s pre-season tour of the USA.

He made his unofficial senior début against A.S. Roma where he played an impressive first half performance where he marked the famous Francesco Totti.

McLaughlin has since spent the final months of the season on loan at Barnsley to gain vital first team experience before he makes the next step to Liverpool’s senior squad.

The Belfast boy has caused some controversy about his international allegiance. Although the 19 year-old has made an appearance for Northern Ireland’s U19 squad he fell out with the manager last summer and has since not played for his country. This has prompted suggestions he may be angling to switch allegiance to the Republic of Ireland where manager Martin O’Neill has suggested he may invite the player to for the ROI’s senior side in the future.

More from Playing for 90

Alex O’Hanlon

Alen O’Hanlon hails from Dublin and also plays for Liverpool, where he is currently impressive for both their under 18 and under 21 sides. Born in 1996 and raised in the Dublin suburb of Blanchardstown O’Hanlon is a talented winger who can play right across the front four positions – a necessary trait of versatility needed to succeed at the behemoth that is Liverpool FC.

Speaking to Liverpoolfc.com last summer as the senior side set out to play Celtic FC at Ireland’s main football ground The Aviva, O’Hanlon spoke of his pride coming from Dublin to don the mighty all red kit.

‘‘I suppose that makes them the same as the people here in Liverpool. They are very, very approachable and if you come to Dublin, basically, you’re just going to have a good time.

‘‘It’s also a beautiful city. I grew up in Blanchardstown, which is just inside Dublin. I lived there for about 14 years, until I came here to play for Liverpool, so I’m well used to the place by now and it’s a really lovely area to grow up in.’’