John Fallon: Italian job tough for Irish teens to crack

To simplify what is developing swiftly into a trend and map out its sustainability, John Fallon examines each deal separately

Cathal Heffernan signed for AC Milan over the weekend

Colourful, football-mad politician Mick Wallace long advocated for Ireland embracing Italian culture but exporting our teen talent wasn’t what he envisaged.

His penchant for the Azzurri model began during the 1990 World Cup odyssey, manifesting in bringing his Wexford Youths squads on annual pilgrimages to Torino’s academies and tournaments.