League Still Turning Up Talent

The Last Word by Brendan White

(first published in the April 2011 Cork City match programme)

The Republic of Ireland lost 3-2 to Uruguay in the Aviva Stadium last week. It was certainly a fine game of football with both teams going for all-out attack, but the stars for Ireland have appeared from an unusual source some might say.

The continued argument of ‘the League of Ireland isn’t good enough’ is surely now being diminished as more and more former League of Ireland stars are coming through to show their talents on the international stage.

Daryl Murphy is someone who, having shone in the League of Ireland, made the move abroad and went on to play for the Republic’s senior squad. In 2004, Shane Long and Keith Fahey also were with League of Ireland teams. Fast forward seven years and these players are now starring across the water and now gaining plaudits on the international stage.

Daryl Murphy returned to Ireland after a spell at Luton Town failed to work out. The League of Ireland has given him the platform to forge a career across the water. From the Blues he moved to Sunderland in 2005 and then onto Celtic in 2010, with two short loan spells sandwiched in between. His Irish career took off then making his debut against Ecuador, making his competitive debut in the Euro 2008 qualifier away to Slovakia in September 2007. If Murphy can start scoring goals for Celtic, a spot in the Irish squad is always a possibility.

Twenty-two goals for Reading this season has promoted Long to the heights of a possible transfer to the Premier League in the summer, should Reading miss out on promotion. Long signed for Reading from Cork City in 2005 and, such was his progress, was given his debut in December of that year, scoring a late equaliser three days later against Derby County. 2007 saw him gain Premier League experience while also gaining his first Republic of Ireland international cap.

The FAI Young Player of the Year in 2010 has been in fantastic form with 20 league goals and two in the FA Cup, averaging one goal every two games for the club. Having starred for the Republic of Ireland in the absence of Robbie Keane, Long was back on the bench when Keane returned against Macedonia, but put in another Man of the Match performance against Uruguay, scoring the opening goal for his side in the game. His undoubted talent is certain to be crucial to Ireland’s success over the coming years.

Keith Fahey is the future of Ireland’s midfield. Quick, a great passer and a hard working player, he is another who looks to have a massive future with this Ireland side. Keith joined Arsenal as a trainee in 1998, moving to Aston Villa before returning to Ireland with St Patrick’s Athletic having failed to settle. From St Pat’s, he moved to Drogheda but returned to Inchicore the following season.

His second chance with St Pat’s was one he certainly took with both hands. Stunning performances on the pitch began to gain attention from across the water once again. His final season for the Saints saw him score 11 goals and claim the PFAI Player of the Year.

Keith joined Birmingham midway through the English Championship season and soon became a first team regular after promotion to the Premier Division. He made his Premier League debut in front of 76,000 fans at Old Trafford and has never looked out of place.

The transition from League of Ireland to English football is one that both Shane Long and Keith Fahey have eased into, and now seem unfazed by their international exploits. Both players now make weekly headlines for their club performances and, while they aren’t currently starters for their country, it’s surely just a matter of time…