BRENTFORD may no longer have a clear run at being regarded as the Premier League’s most Irish club this season. Ipswich Town’s return to the top flight has changed the picture, with four regular members of Heimir Hallgrimsson’s Ireland squad currently on their books and firmly on the watchlist.
Even so, the Irish contingent in what is routinely billed as “the greatest league in the world” remains relatively modest. For younger Ireland prospects who are not already attached to clubs in the English Championship or further down the pyramid, the search for meaningful senior football is increasingly leading beyond England.
Tayo Adaramola’s move is a case in point. After bringing a 10-year spell at Crystal Palace to an end, the defender signed a four-year contract with Cercle Bruges in Belgium — a clear sign that emerging Irish players are becoming more open to the idea that stronger pathways may be found elsewhere in Europe.
Dara O’Shea is Ipswich Town captain
Across the continent, the Irish footprint is spread wider than many might expect. There are Ireland-qualified players at three Bundesliga clubs and three Serie A clubs, as well as two in Turkey’s Super Lig, one in La Liga, one in Ligue 1, and others in the top divisions of Belgium, Hungary, Norway and Bulgaria.
The Netherlands should also remain part of that map for now, though Troy Parrott appears set to leave Alkmaar — a move that would, if completed, double the Irish presence in La Liga.
With the Premier League circus getting under way this Friday, these are the players Hallgrimsson will be monitoring most closely in England’s top division — along with the European destinations he may need to visit as Ireland’s talent pool continues to spread out.
PREMIER LEAGUE
Brentford: The recruitment of Damien Duff onto Keith Andrews’ coaching staff grabbed most attention over the summer, and it will be interesting to see how the two former international team-mates work together after Andrews confounded expectations in his first season in management. Ireland have benefited from the relationship Caoimhin Kelleher and Nathan Collins fostered at club level and, hopefully, that continues to grow this season.
Damien Duff has teamed up with Brentford
Brighton & Hove Albion: Evan Ferguson’s ankle problems remain a concern for club and country. The striker is expected to be out until October after his latest surgery, meaning he’s unlikely to go out on loan before that. With Danny Welbeck having left the club, perhaps there’s an opportunity for Ferguson, who’s still only 21, to force his way back into the team. Eiran Cashin, who spent last season on loan at Blackburn, has been given chances by Fabian Hurzeler in pre-season, although he has his work cut out to dislodge club captain Lewis Dunk or new signing Luka Vuskovic at the back.
Everton: Even after Seamus Coleman’s emotional departure, there is reason to keep an eye on the Toffees. Jake O’Brien is still being used as a right-back, despite central defence looking like his best position, but he should get another season of regular Premier League football under his belt. Mark Travers continues to act as Jordan Pickford’s No2.
Hull City: John Egan gets another shot at top-flight football in the twilight of his career, which is just reward for a top professional, but Cathal McCarthy, the young defender from Kildare who started a number of games in defence during the promotion bid, has been farmed out on loan to Kilmarnock.
John Egan has earned another top flight shot
Ipswich Town: Dara O’Shea remains captain, and spiritual leader, of the Tractor Boys while Jack Taylor and Kasey McAteer were both regulars under Kieran McKenna as they came straight back up from the Championship. It will be interesting to see if they fit into Gary O’Neil’s plans. The same goes for Chiedozie Ogbene, who spent last season out on loan at Sheffield United, but is now back at Portman Road.
Newcastle: Rory Finneran, who captained the Ireland under-17s at last November’s World Cup in Qatar, made his senior debut for the Magpies in pre-season and is believed to have impressed in a couple of friendlies. Finneran was given his Ireland senior debut against Grenada back in May but he is still only 18, so even though the club looks in a bit of flux, it’s hard to know if he’ll get an opportunity to show Matthias Jaissle what he can do.
Sunderland: Alan Browne is back at the Stadium of Light, having been a regular for Middlesbrough in their failed bid for promotion last season. With the Black Cats in Europe, he may get some chances this season.
Collins and his manager Keith Andrews
SCOTTISH PREMIERSHIP
Aberdeen: Former Shelbourne defender Gavin Molloy played 18 times for Aberdeen last season and came off the bench in their season opener. Connor Ronan joining the club from Colorado Rapids is intriguing. The former Wolves midfielder, who’s 27, has played in Switzerland and Slovakia, but feels this move might put him back in the window for Ireland.
Celtic: Liam Scales celebrated last season’s dramatic title win by signing a new deal that will keep the Wicklow man at Parkhead until 2030, and he remains a big part of Martin O’Neill’s plans. Johnny Kenny turned down the chance to go back to Bolton in order to prove himself at Celtic, with Shaun Maloney confirming last week that the Sligo man is very much part of the first-team squad.
Dundee United: Will Ferry’s future at Tannadice is uncertain, with Anderlecht among a host of clubs looking at the full-back. Former Rovers star Neil Farrugia is still part of the Tangerines squad, who are managed by Waterford man Jim Goodwin.
Hearts: Oisín McEntee was an integral part of their defence as they pushed Celtic all the way and his injury-forced premature end to last term was a big blow to their title bid. His aerial ability has proved useful at set-pieces, with the Cavan native already scoring a goal this season.
Hibernian: Owen Elding’s movement and goal-poaching ability already impressed Hallgrimsson at the May training camp, and his early-season form for Hibs has been electric. Jamie McGrath is a key cog in midfield, while former Bohs defender Warren O’Hora completes the Irish contingent at Easter Road.
Kilmarnock: As mentioned above, highly-rated Kildare defender Cathal McCarthy, who started a number of games in defence in Hull’s successful promotion bid, has joined on loan.
Cathal McCarthy is a highly-rated defender
Motherwell: Joe Hodge played regularly in the Portuguese top flight for Tondela last season, and the former Wolves midfielder, who is 23 now, will be keen to bring that experience to Scotland.
St Mirren: Killian Phillips has been getting himself on the scoresheet in early season, and the former Drogheda midfielder will hope to force his way back into Hallgrimsson’s thinking, as he hasn’t been in a squad since Yerevan. Former Ireland under-age international Roland Idowu, who can operate on the wing or midfield, is also a regular.
FRANCE
Strasbourg: Andrew Omobamidele featured regularly for Gary O’Neil as they reached the Conference League semi-final last season, but the Leixlip native, who is trying to force his way into the Ireland manager’s thinking, has to deal with a new manager, with Portugal’s Hugo Oliveira taking over.
Stade Reims: There are two Irish players here in a club that finished sixth in Ligue 2 last season. John Joe Patrick Finn, who was given his Ireland debut in Luxembourg last year, was in and out of the Reims team last season, while Ireland under-19 international Ike Orazi, who came from Shamrock Rovers three years ago, will be hoping for more chances this term.
GERMANY
TSG Hoffenheim: Finn Sherlock and Matthew Moore, two highly promising Ireland youth internationals, continue their development with the Bundesliga club. Sherlock, from Cootehill in Cavan, was one of the stars of the Ireland under-17 World Cup campaign.
Mainz: Speculation continues over whether Paul Nebel is going to declare for Ireland. The 23-year-old midfielder has played all his under-age football, up to under-21 level, for Germany but he has been tracked by the FAI about switching allegiance. His talent is clear, as he was key to pulling Mainz away from relegation trouble in the Bundesliga last season.
Schalke 04: Schalke return to the Bundesliga this season, which might mean that opportunities will be limited for young midfielder Brody Collins, the former Shamrock Rovers youth who joined on a four-year deal last year.
has few players in the Premier League
Kaiserslautern: Alex Murphy made his Premier League debut for Newcastle last season, but the young Galwegian defender has been sent to the German second-tier outfit on loan to further his development.
FC Magdeburg: Hallgrimsson was keeping an eye on Anselmo Garcia McNulty after his performances for PEC Zwolle in the Eredivisie. McNulty, who was previously at Wolfsburg, has moved to the German second tier and will be looking to help Magdeburg get promotion.
MSV Duisburg: Former Ireland under-21 international Conor Noss remains key for Duisburg, having scored ten goals from midfield last season. But the ex-Borussia Monchengladbach youth would need to be playing at a higher level than the German third tier to get into Hallgrimsson’s plans.
ITALY
Udinese: It had been rumoured that Udinese would send James Abankwah back to their sister club, Watford, for a third loan spell, but the young defender has been playing pre-season games and looks set to play a role for the Serie A club this season.
Torino: Senan Mullen is currently on a season-long loan at Bohemians, but the Serie A club signed another young Irish player, Luke Fitzsimons, who is only 16, from the St Pat’s academy.
Lecce: Corrie Ndaba flew under the radar last season as Lecce fought relegation from Serie A, but he started regularly at left-back, as he has done for them in pre-season
SPAIN
Malaga: Aaron Ochoa Moloney only turned 19 in April, but the Spanish-born Irish under-age international is very highly rated at Malaga and was a regular in their squads as they gained promotion to La Liga last season.
BELGIUM
Cercle Bruges: Tayo Adaramola, who had been with Crystal Palace since he was 12, has joined the Belgian top-flight side on a four-year contract. The 22-year-old Irish defender, on one of his many loan spells away from Selhurst Park, did spend time in Belgium before, with RWD Molenbeek, where he played 14 times in the Pro League.
Adaramola has just moved to Belgium
Francs Borains: Ireland under-21 goalkeeper Noah Jauny has joined the Belgian second tier side after leaving Brest, where he had moved as a 16-year-old in 2020, and where he was on the bench for all ten of Brest’s Champions League games two seasons ago.
NETHERLANDS
AZ Alkmaar: Troy Parrott remains an Alkmaar player – for the moment – but Real Betis, who have Champions League football this season, look all set to offer the Dubliner a life-changing move to La Liga.
TURKEY
Erzurumspor: Festy Ebosele decided to stay in the Turkish Super Lig, after a solid season with Basaksehir last season, playing for them more than 20 times and helping them to European football. The well-travelled right-back, who has also been at Derby, Udinese and Watford, has joined the newly promoted side and, at 24, the Wexford native will hope to make his mark.
Goztepe: Sinclair Armstrong’s €2million transfer from Bristol City to the Super Lig side might have been overshadowed by Mo Salah’s move to Trabzonspor at the same time but, having signed a four-year deal, the 23-year-old Dubliner’s hope of establishing himself at Goztepe got off to a great start earlier in the week as he scored in a 3-3 draw away to Samsunspor.
Armstrong scored on his Goztepe debut
BULGARIA
Levski Sofia: Armstrong Oko-Flex left FC Zurich in search of regular football and certainly took a route less travelled, moving to the Bulgarian top flight, initially with Botev Plovdiv before the Bulgarian champions bought him last January. The former St Kevin’s player, who’s 23 and has been converted into a striker from winger in Bulgaria, now stands on the cusp of Champions League football after winning the league with Sofia.
HUNGARY
Ferencvaros: Robbie Keane may have left the Hungarian powerhouses, but Ireland international Callum O’Dowda remains with the club, and has appeared in a couple of early season games on the left wing for them.
NORWAY
Molde: Former Liverpool trainee Trent Kone-Doherty has played 13 times for Molde in this year’s Eliteserien. The Derry native, who only turned 20 in June, has scored twice and created another couple of goals.
