Worrying number of Irish players without game time as they arrive at training camp for England clash – The Irish Times

Republic of Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrímsson welcomes a 23-man squad to Dublin on Monday that is desperately short of game time ahead of their Nations League opener against beaten European finalists England at the Aviva Stadium next Saturday.

It is no secret that there is a gap between the value of Irish players and English players today. It is also no surprise to learn that the majority of Irish players who earn their living in England struggle each season to break into and stay in the Premier League.

This is not new. But the situation has gotten worse. On 15 February 1995, an outbreak of violence by England fans in the upper west stand at Lansdowne Road forced the abandonment of an international friendly match after 26 minutes, with Ireland leading 1-0 thanks to a goal from David Kelly.

Of Terry Venables’s starters that night, only David Platt was not a regular in the Premier League, the midfielder in the last of his four seasons in Italy with Sampdoria. Ireland had eight Premier League players, three of whom – Alan Kelly (Sheffield United), Alan Kernaghan (Bolton Wanderers) and David Kelly (Wolverhampton Wanderers) – were playing in the Premier League.

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The current Irish squad features 13 players from Premier League clubs, but only six of them – Nathan Collins (Brentford), Matt Doherty (Wolves), Séamus Coleman (Everton), Will Smallbone (Southampton), Sammie Szmodics and Chiedozie Ogbene (both Ipswich Town) – have made a significant contribution in the opening three games.

That figure was four a week ago, but Coleman made a timely return to a struggling Everton side and Ogbene signed for Ipswich from Luton before the transfer deadline. He linked up well with Szmodics behind striker Liam Delap in a 1-1 draw with Fulham on Saturday.

Like Declan Rice and Jack Grealish, as well as Irish passport holders Jude Bellingham and Conor Gallagher, the son of former Ireland defender Rory Delap will be lost to Ireland if the 21-year-old plays for England Under-21s this week.

This is how it is in the 2020s.

Current Irish players Evan Ferguson (Brighton), Andrew Omobamidele of Nottingham Forest, new Everton signing Jake O’Brien, Caoimhín Kelleher and Mark Travers – the reserve goalkeepers for Liverpool and Bournemouth – have accumulated a combined zero minutes in the Premier League this season.

Doherty has never been a regular starter in his second appearance for Wolves, while the yet-to-be-capped Kasey McAteer has failed to break into the Leicester City team.

It’s not all bad. Smallbone is well established in Southampton’s midfield, Collins is enjoying a fine start to the season at Brentford and Dara O’Shea should find his feet under Kieran McKenna at Ipswich.

Ireland assistant manager Paddy McCarthy can provide first-hand insight into the English players he coaches, plays with and against at Crystal Palace.

Six England players – Noni Madueke, Cole Palmer, Levi Colwill, Eberechi Eze, Marc Guehi and Dean Henderson – started as McCarthy’s side held Chelsea 1-1 at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

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Whether it’s inside information or not, England interim manager Lee Carsley has added a group of stars worth around £1.5bn, compared to an Irish panel worth around £180m.

Apart from Celtic players Liam Scales and Adam Idah, and former Tottenham striker Troy Parrott, who is currently playing for AZ Alkmaar (no goals in four starts), the rest of the squad play for Championship clubs in the English second division.

The Championship and its 46-game season have increasingly become the primary destination for Irish talent. It was there that West Bromwich Albion midfielder Jayson Molumby, who is expected to partner Smallbone against Kobbie Mainoo and Rice, scored his first goal of the season at the weekend against Swansea City.

The West Brom and Southampton professionals battling the men of Manchester United and Arsenal are the same as before. Just like 29 years ago, when Aston Villa’s Andy Townsend and Sheffield Wednesday’s John Sheridan tackled a top-class Paul Ince and Platt until the wooden seats were broken and thrown onto the Lansdowne pitch.