St Pat's paying school fees to help foster youth talent

7 July 2021; Adam Murphy during a St Patrick's Athletic Player feature shoot at Richmond Park in Dublin. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

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St Patrick’s Athletic can join Shamrock Rovers and Sligo Rovers at the top of the table by beating Derry City on Friday night but they’re also competing with the trailblazers in the younger ranks.

While the Hoops have invested heavily in their Academy, and Sligo are optimising a scholarship link-up with their local college to attract gems, the Saints are making their own inroads in the market.

When Ben McCormack and Darragh Burns, who’ve both featured for Stephen O’Donnell’s side this season, penned their first professional deals this week, it meant the club can demand transfer fees if, as expected, approaches are made.

They’re in the process of brokering such a deal for Glory Nzingo, the starlet French top-flight club Rennes want to recruit.

And they fended off competition from Rovers to retain Adam Murphy, an exciting midfielder whose fees at the private Institute of Education will be sponsored by the club owned by property magnate Garrett Kelleher.

The Belvedere graduate would already have made his first-team bow only for a Covid-19 enforced rule whereby players under 16 didn’t hold the elite exemption. “Adam has been with us for the last while and he's done very well,” said O’Donnell.

Similar to the arrangement Rovers had with Ashfield College, which allowed Gavin Bazunu study for his Leaving Cert before moving to Manchester City, Murphy will combine his two passions.

"I'm very grateful that St Pat's have given me the opportunity to move to a private school to continue my education while training full-time," he said. "Education is very important to me and I feel that the Institute will help me a lot."

As both Rovers have a free weekend amid their European exploits, third-placed Saints can catch them at Richmond Park (7.45pm).

O’Donnell will be missing defensive pair Lee Desmond and Ian Bermingham, both sent-off in last Friday’s 3-2 defeat at Bohemians.

“Derry are playing well under Ruadhri Higgins and have strengthened since the window opened last week,” noted O’Donnell. Marc Walsh and Joe Thomson will be missing for City, with Jamie McMonigle doubtful.

In Friday’s other top-flight fixture, also featuring an expanded attendance of 500, second-from-bottom Waterford can cut the gap on Finn Harps to four points by beating them at Finn Park (5.45pm).