First post-Brexit U17 Euros the first real test of domestic bliss

Wed, 17 May, 2023 - 07:47

Everybody knew Brexit would be a game-changer in Ireland and U17 European finals starting tonight may supply the first indicators as to whether it will be a whole new ball game on the pitch.

The last time Colin O'Brien led his team at this stage, in the 2019 tournament against a Belgium side that included Jérémy Doku, none of his starting team were signed to League of Ireland clubs.

Talents such as Andrew Omobamidele and Joe Hodge were by then at least 12 months into apprenticeships with English academies – as were Troy Parrott, Nathan Collins and Adam Idah at the finals in the previous two years.

Conversely, at least nine attached to national league outfits will be in the line-up when Ireland square up against Poland in Budapest (3.30pm) in their group opener.

That would be akin to utopia if by design but rather the situation was enforced through Britain's decision to leave the European Union and the consequential ban on players moving to the UK until 18 instead of the traditional exodus at 16.

It has thrust the developmental function onto a sector that has struggled for decades to be viable at senior level, let alone within an expanded portfolio of teams.

Only six of the 20 clubs have in place a full-time Academy director and the vast majority of players operate part-time, training in the evening time after a day spent at school.

Contact hours, as Damien Duff highlighted yesterday, are inadequate to substitute what they'd receive within the UK system now cut off to them.

"Three sessions per week?," mused Duff before offering a stark assessment. "Pfft, no chance.

"They've done great to qualify, there's some great talent in the group and Colin O'Brien has done a wonderful job and I'm sure they'll go away and do great.

"But I still think we can offer a better service with coaching and academies here. Are they getting the best? Nope."

This U17 intake is the second under O'Brien's wing since the political sea change moved the goalposts and they superseded what the class of Cathal Heffernan, Mark O'Mahony and Kevin Zefi did last year by navigating two series of qualifiers to reach the finals.

Ireland have managed to avoid the powerhouses of Italy, Netherlands and England in the group stage but how the players compare against the Polish, Wales and hosts Hungary over the next week will be observed closely by those concerned about this country's inability to properly fund an industry catering for the emerging gems. It comes in the week that Evan Ferguson, Ireland's most highly rated export in a generation, cited his two years in Brighton's set-up from 16 as instrumental to his first-team strides.

O'Brien isn't as pessimistic as Duff about any gulf created by the contrasting environment his players inhabit along their road to eventual professionalism.

"I wouldn't say we're at a disadvantage," said Corkman O'Brien, ahead of his fourth tournament as manager.

"Okay, our lads mightn't be full-time, I understand that point, but they're not far off it with their clubs.

"A lot of the countries we're coming up against will have started a lot earlier with the development, in terms of academies, and activity-wise, they might be doing an extra day per week.

"A lot of our boys are still doing school. We'll have a player during the tournament who has exams and that's probably a little bit of a difference as well.

"I know certain clubs are trying to get the players a little bit more, trying to tie in education for their more long-term models at the club."

Try is the salient word here, for in practice it's a rarity. Kudos to Shamrock Rovers for introducing a programme whereby talented players can spend their transition year based at the club's Roadstone training ground.

O'Brien's captain Freddie Turley was lured from St Joseph's Boys/Bray Wanderers by an initiative that should be a template for other clubs to replicate.

"I personally don't believe I could be anywhere better than Roadstone," said the defender, who turns 17 in July.

"It's quite different from normal school. We'd football train in the morning and you have two classes in the afternoon, after which we work on our individual game. There's three extra gym sessions every week which has certainly helped me come a long way."

Living like a professional footballer enthused his vice-captain Danny McGrath too. "A few of us in the squad were on the FAI transition course, run in conjunction with Fingal County Council," said the Bohemians teen. " Training together every day is different from other countries and it helps us connect."

Yet these laudable schemes are happening in isolation. Given clubs receive a pitiful annual contribution from the FAI of €10,500 to fund their youth sections from U14 upwards, few will be able to bridge the gap like Rovers can through their European bonanza and investment from the likes of Dermot Desmond.

"I see someone was comparing this squad with our team under Brian Kerr (U20 World Cup bronze medalists in 1997) but I was playing far more football at that age than all those players going to Hungary," Duff continued.

"Society has changed and these lads need a structured training environment. In England, players of that age train seven or eight times per week, including double sessions, but we don't have that here.

"There's a lot of talk about investing in stadiums but, if I had the millions, it would go towards training facilities and paying coaches. That's plain and simple to me."

Let the games begin.