Colin O’Brien beats drum for youth

While Irish football comes to terms with the loss of the special talent that is Declan Rice, U17s head coach Colin O’Brien is busy preparing the next generation of players for the unique test of performing as host nation in the 2019 Euro Finals in May.

“Look it’s done, it’s a disappointment,” said O’Brien of Rice’s defection to England. “For me personally, that whole rule situation is a big problem. With regards ourselves, we’ve always been focused on players that want to play for Ireland, who can play for Ireland.”

While O’Brien would prefer to see international allegiance settled at U21 level, the eligibility issue is not such a pressing one for his current crop of U17 players, with some 90% of his 20-strong squad for the finals likely to be made up of home-grown players.

And, for those who will be selected, the former Cork City man is acutely conscious of both the honour and the challenge May will bring.

“I think there is a little bit of the unknown with it,” he reflects. “What I mean by that is, because they haven’t gone through the qualifying campaign, they probably haven’t had the edge of a tournament yet. I think it’s important for the public to realise that, for this group of players, it’s going to be their first time playing for Ireland in Ireland in competitive fixtures — and it happens to be the European finals.

“Now, young players can really surprise you. They can really rise to that. There might be a bit of nervousness, which is good, but they also need to know how to deal with it, and that stuff we have to help them with, which we are.

“But the levels of support we are anticipating for the opening game could be as much as they have ever played in front of before. What we would be urging the home support to do is get behind the players and be patient with them. There is some quality there, but you will see some mistakes, because it is a young age group, it’s a new pressure for them.”

Ireland’s star turn from the last Euro Finals, Troy Parrott, is technically eligible to play again but, having since graduated to the U19s, and with his career really beginning to take off at Spurs, it’s thought unlikely he will feature in the U17 tournament, though a definitive decision has yet to be made.

Still, as O’Brien observes, his rapid progress is what the job of developing underage talent is really all about.

“Ah yeah, it just shows you how a player’s career can take off. He was really good for us last season. We played him up a year, we saw his potential and gave him a platform to come into the U17s. I think that’s going to be a thing when people do come to the tournament: There are going to be players of the future — including hopefully some Irish boys — but you’re going to have the best of the best from around Europe here in May. I think it’s going to be important for any young players around the country, and coaches, to get to see these games.”

With the elite qualifying round for Euro 2019 still to be played, hosts Ireland won’t discover who their opponents in the finals will be until the draw is made on April 5 in Dublin. The 16-nation tournament itself kicks off on May 3 and runs until May 19, with confirmation expected soon of match venues in Dublin, Longford, and Waterford.

Tickets go on sale from tomorrow, February 22, at 11am. Prices for adults start at €5, with all U16s getting free entry to games.