Kenny to Kabia: 10 Irish players to watch out for during English Football League season

The marathon campaign gets going this weekend. 

UP AND COMING: Jaze Kabia, Mason Melia and Eoin Kenny.

This weekend sees the English Football League season kick off.

Here’s 10 Irish players to watch out for as the marathon campaign gets motoring.

Championship:

Mason Melia (Lincoln City, away to Middlesbrough, Saturday 3pm)

Harry Kane and Troy Parrott are just two predecessors at Tottenham Hotspur whose careers were hardened by loan moves and Melia’s traits will be tested at the Championship newcomers.

Lincoln are favourites to go straight down but their limited resources offers the 18-year-old a platform to accumulate experience, filling the gap vacated by compatriot Jack Moylan jumping ship to Brian Barry-Murphy’s Cardiff City.

Bosun Lawal (Stoke City, at home to Swansea City, Sat, 3pm)

Season after season, Lawal has been tipped to cure Ireland’s dearth of holding midfielders, only for injuries to stall his ascent. A series of hamstring injuries delayed his full debut until March and once he steers clear of any layoffs, the scope exists for him to consolidate his Ireland spot over the Autumn. Ireland can only hope that director of football Jon Walters tweaking his medical department at Stoke benefits the likes of his 23-year-old compatriot.

Eoin Kenny (Portsmouth, at home to QPR, Sat 3pm)

Pompey collected a bargain by signing the Dundalk attacker last month for €40,000 and he’s been a mainstay of their pre-season programme.

“He has come over from Ireland and is learning the level of intensity and the level of fitness we require, how quick everything is out there,” says manager John Mousinho. “It’s a big adjustment for him, which is what we expected.” 

The son of Stephen is currently part of Northern Ireland’s U21s but can switch to the Republic, if the will exists on both sides to make it happen.

Matt Doherty (Sheffield United, at home to Birmingham City, Sat 5.30pm)

Whereas the speculation linked Séamus Coleman with the Blades, instead it was his right-back rival and friend Doherty who recently rocked up at Bramall Lane.

He turns 35 in January but still possesses the smarts to aid a promotion push for a club used to challenging except last season’s disappointing mid-table finish. Doherty’s stay could be extended by another year if the club are impressed but from an Irish perspective an intriguing subplot is whether he reclaims his squad place for the Nations League.

Finn Azaz (Southampton, away to Watford, Sunday 1.30pm)

Azaz was ablaze with form until the latter stages. There was his penalty miss for Ireland in the World Cup playoff semi-final before the club season came unstuck in the Championship playoffs. Southampton’s spying sins had nothing to do with the players but hovers a cloud around the club for the new season. Premier League suitors could yet swoop before the deadline but for now the second tier is the attacking midfielder’s habitat.

League One:

Louie Barry (Sheffield Wednesday, away to Leyton Orient, Sat, 3pm)

Barry has over the years toyed with representing his homeland of England or Ireland but Heimir Hallgrímsson last year revealed the striker is onboard. League One is a deep drop from where he was in 2020 at Barcelona but a club the size and profile of the Owls may be what the wanderer requires at the age of 23.

Jaze Kabia (Leyton Orient, home to Sheffield Wednesday, Sat 3pm)

The son of former Cork City forward Jason is now 26 and joined Orient last week for what was branded a "club record fee". His 24 goals in 57 appearances for Grimsby Town last season courted admirers and the question will be posed about his ability to elevate his form from non-league, Truro City in 2025, to Grimsby in League Two and now League One. "It's a statement having the number nine on your back,” said the player. “It carries weight and I like that kind of pressure.” 

Jamie Mullins (Wycombe Wanderers, away to Blackpool, Sat, 3pm) 

Connor Ronan, Andy Moran and Will Smallbone are just three contenders that have yet to fill Ireland’s No 10 they were touted for. Mullins, from the Brighton academy Moran was also moulded in, is the next. A year on from joining Wycombe, matured physically to be afforded that role as a regular. He’s still much to do but at 21 has time to start escalating through the tiers.

David McGoldrick (Mansfield, at home to Doncaster, Sat 3pm)

A player at the opposite end of his career, the 38-year-old remains in-demand to the extent he rejected a contract extension at Barnsley to join the Stags. Nigel Clough is one of the longest serving managers across the English game and felt the veteran was worth the risk to bolster their survival prospects. Just don’t expect any wildcard talk of an Ireland recall, as occurred in March around the World Cup playoff.

League Two:

Lewis Temple (Oldham Athletic, at home to Port Vale, Sat 3pm):

Centre-back is the area Ireland is richly served in but Damien Duff felt the player he sold to Bolton Wanderers last year is capable of competing in the long run. Bolton’s Irish director of football Fergal Harkin believes a temporary switch is best for the 21-year-old and former Cork City player Micky Mellon is delighted to pair him with ex-Rebel Ryan Delaney, another close-season recruit.