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The Irish Sun
7 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Chris Forrester hails €2m Tottenham Hotspur-bound Mason Melia as ‘an anomaly' who has kept his feet on the ground
Forrester says League of Ireland fans should savour Melia while they can after another dazzling display in the FAI Cup win over Shelbourne PREM CLASS Chris Forrester hails €2m Tottenham Hotspur-bound Mason Melia as 'an anomaly' who has kept his feet on the ground CHRIS FORRESTER reckons Mason Melia has the temperament and talent to go all the way to the top. Melia and Forrester both scored on Sunday as St Patrick's Athletic beat Shelbourne 2-0 to progress to the last eight of the FAI Cup. 2 Chris Forrester and Mason Melia were both on target as St Pat's saw off Shels in the FAI Cup 2 And Forrester reckons Tottenham-bound Melia is a superb talent And 17-year-old Melia's goal was one for the highlight reel and showed just why Tottenham Hotspur have agreed to sign him in January for a League of Ireland record €2 million fee. He got up after being fouled to run onto a pass on the edge of the area where his sublime first touch took two Shels men out of the game as he then finished with a cool side-foot. Boss Stephen Kenny said: 'He got fouled, the referee played a very good advantage, Simon Power is faced up with five players. 'So he does the intelligent thing, he plays it back to Mason who somehow with his first touch manoeuvres the situation that allows him to get the shot off. It was a high quality finish.' And Forrester admitted Melia is like no one he has ever seen before as he credited him with keeping his feet on the ground as well. Forrester said: 'He's a bit of an anomaly. But I think he's set the trend for the whole league. 'I know there's a lot more young lads coming through at the clubs as well and I think he's been the trendsetter for everyone. 'He's a perfect example for the other kids that are coming through - the world's your oyster, when you're getting in, you'll really enjoy it. 'He takes everything into his stride. I kind of like that about him. Obviously if I'm coming in here and I'm a €2 million man, I might have a bit of an ego. 'But he doesn't have any of that. I think it would send me the wrong way, personally. But he doesn't have any of that and I like his character. Premier League star, 25, breaks silence on awkwardly-sized shorts after suffering repeated wardrobe malfunctions 'His character's good, his family are lovely, they're all supportive of him. I just like his attitude. 'He's laid back enough but he still puts in the shift and he does what he needs to do. He's always working on stuff and he's eager to learn. 'It's probably easy to be eager to learn when you know where you're going - to Tottenham - but he still doesn't shy away from anything. 'He needs to work on some things and I think he's trying to work on everything. I really like his attitude and I'm really pleased with the way it's been going. 'I do often forget how young he is. I look at him sometimes and I'd be moaning at him about some things. But he's still just a kid. 'His progression has been nice, it's been nice to be a part of it. We all know where he's going so he's going to have a good future in the game. 'We're actually privileged just to have him here at the moment and he's playing really well. 'Hopefully he keeps progressing the way he's going and keeps playing with a smile on his face. That's the most important thing.' But while Forrester has told League of Ireland fans to enjoy watching Melia while they still can, Saints fans were lapping up another masterclass from Forrester on Sunday. CUP FEVER The 32-year-old scored a penalty and was central to so much of St Pat's control against Shelbourne before he went off with a slight hamstring strain with seven minutes to go. But Forrester insisted it is nothing serious, jokingly suggesting he only wanted a round applause for a little cameo just before it; a drag back to get away from Kerr McInroy before a nutmeg of Harry Wood. He said: 'I'm okay, it was just a little bit of a niggle on the hamstring. I thought I'd best come off after that piece of skill so I'd get a little victory lap! 'It's been a stop-start season, getting a couple of injuries, which is uncharacteristic for myself, which I found tough to mentally get back from. 'I'm back now, feeling good, back in the team. That's all in the past and I'm just happy to be out there.' And his focus now is on securing European football for the Saints next season, with the FAI Cup being another chance as they are currently sixth in the league. He added: 'We're fully focused on getting through the league as well, not just hanging a hat on the Cup but we're progressing well, we're playing well at the moment. 'The carrot is there with the Cup, but the league is our bread and butter and you want to keep progressing in that. We are on the coattails of everyone. We need to keep pushing."
Irish Daily Mirror
7 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
‘I often forget how young he is' - St Pat's legend in awe of teen star Melia
Chris Forrester admits he often has to remind himself that Mason Melia is still a month shy of his 18th birthday. The St Patrick's Athletic striker has scored 11 goals so far this season, with his latest coming in Sunday's FAI Cup win over Shelbourne. Forrester, who scored the Saints' second against their Dublin rivals, described the teenage sensation as 'a bit of an anomaly' whose age-defying antics have left him awe-struck. And he reckons Melia is even better now than when he agreed a League of Ireland record €1.9million move to Premier League side Tottenham. That deal will be completed next January, after the Ireland Under-21 striker turns 18, and Forrester said: 'He's getting a lot better. I do often forget how young he is. 'I look at him sometimes and I'd be moaning at him about some things. But he's still just a kid. His progression has been nice, it's been nice to be a part of it. 'We all know where he's going so he's going to have a good future in the game. We're actually privileged just to have him here at the moment and he's playing really well. 'Hopefully he keeps progressing the way he's going and keeps playing with a smile on his face. That's the most important thing.' It's not just Melia's performances on the pitch that have impressed veteran midfielder Forrester. Click this link or scan the QR code to receive the latest League of Ireland news and top stories from the Irish Mirror. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice . Melia hasn't let his impending move go to his head, and has been more willing than ever to work hard on improving his all-round game. 'He takes everything into his stride. I kind of like that about him,' said Forrester. 'Obviously if I'm coming in here and I'm a €2million man, I might have a bit of an ego. But he doesn't have any of that. 'I think it would send me the wrong way, personally. But he doesn't have any of that and I like his character. His character's good, his family are lovely, they're all supportive of him. 'I just like his attitude. He's laid back enough but he still puts in the shift and he does what he needs to do.' Asked if he had ever come across anyone like Melia, he replied: 'No, not really to be honest. No, I'd probably say no. 'He's a bit of an anomaly. But I think he's set the trend for the whole league. St. Patrick's Athletic's Mason Melia celebrates his opener against Shelbourne in the FAI Cup (Image: INPHO/Laszlo Geczo) 'I know there's a lot more young lads coming through at the clubs as well and I think he's been the trendsetter for everyone. 'He's a perfect example for the other kids that are coming through - the world's your oyster, when you're getting in, you'll really enjoy it.' Melia will head to England with a large body of work in senior football behind him, despite his age. His 11 goals so far this season is by far a season best, beating his seven strikes last year. He is closing in on 90 senior appearances for Pat's, including 12 in Europe. Prior to Brexit rules coming in, he would have been allowed to move to the UK after his 16th birthday, where he might have spent this time in the academy system. The benefits of him playing regularly against experienced defenders are evident, and he is a physical match for the toughest of centre-halves. '(Playing in the League of Ireland) has helped massively,' said Forrester. 'I agree with the laid back approach, but he's always working on stuff and he's eager to learn. 'It's probably easy to be eager to learn when you know where you're going - to Tottenham - but he still doesn't shy away from anything. 'He needs to work on some things and I think he's trying to work on everything. I really like his attitude and I'm really pleased with the way it's been going.' Forrester is happy too with the way things are going for St Pat's right now. Although their European run ended at the hands of Turkish giants Besiktas, their FAI progress at the expense of Shels and an upturn in league form has put a smile on his face. A three-time FAI Cup winner with the Saints, he would love another big day out at the Aviva Stadium. 'They are some of the best days in the calendar to be honest. A lot of fond memories in the Cup for myself,' he said. 'It doesn't matter what previously happened, it's always a big day. You always want to get back to the Aviva and I'm just glad that we progressed and we're in the hat for the next round.' Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email .
The Irish Sun
7 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Steve Williams tells Shelbourne stars to seize ‘once-in-a-lifetime' European chance
Williams says the Conference League play-off with Linfield is an opportunity the modern squad must savour STEVE WILLIAMS says that going close to the group stages with Shelbourne was not the proudest achievement of his career. But it was the biggest, and he told the modern day Reds to savour every moment of their opportunity now. 2 Former Shelbourne keeper Steve Williams has urged the Dublin-based side to give it a real go in Europe 2 Shelbourne face Linfield in the Conference League play-off aiming to take the club into the group stages for the first Advertisement Shelbourne face Linfield this week and next in the Conference League play-off aiming to take the club into the group stages for the first time in their history. And the game brings back memories of 31 years ago when Shelbourne went close to being the first Irish club to do so in the Champions League. Just 32 clubs reached the promised land in those days and the Reds had a glorious run seeing off KR Reykjavik and Hajduk Split before facing Deportivo La Coruna. Goalkeeper Williams told SunSport: 'They'd been in the Champions League semi-finals the season before that. Advertisement 'I remember watching them against Porto and they could have beaten them. Porto won 1-0 on aggregate and went on to win the final. 'And then lo and behold, we're playing them a few months later for a chance to get into the Champions League group stage.' The first leg at Lansdowne Road was a 22,000 sell-out (terracing was not allowed be used) and Shels then headed for La Coruna in Spain just 90 minutes from glory. Williams continued: 'Half-time in the Raizor, we went to the bathroom and were looking at each other going 'holy s***, we're only 45 minutes from the group stages!' Advertisement 'We'd missed a sitter in the first half, Jay Byrne put a free header wide that you'd always back him to score as well. 'But the last 35 minutes in the second half, Deportivo went up a gear. They showed us that the gap between us was too big. Premier League star, 25, breaks silence on awkwardly-sized shorts after suffering repeated wardrobe malfunctions 'Nowadays, you'd go straight in the Europa group stage if you were in that tie. But we then had Lille in a play-off for that group stage. 'Unfortunately, Lille were really good. I think they were actually better than Deportivo, they were more organised. We drew (2-2) at home and lost (2-0) over there. 'Those games were big. Your whole football life is based on playing the best players in Europe, and sometimes the world. Advertisement 'And we did that for a spell. We didn't do it all of our careers but we weren't outperformed and we put a dot on the map for Irish soccer at the time. 'I think that's why a lot of us stayed in Ireland then when we could have moved to the UK, the chance to do something in Europe was special.' Welshman Williams, who settled in Dundalk when he first moved to Ireland in 1997 and has remained in the town to this day, also acknowledged the financial incentives are there too. He said: 'I think it was just over a €100,000 to win the tie. The Euro had just come in a few years earlier. It wouldn't have paid off your mortgage, but it would have paid a good chunk.' And what happened two years later is why Williams believes Shelbourne's players should relish these moments, as he saw how quickly things could change. Advertisement The goalkeeper won the league - his fifth - with Shelbourne in 2006 that he counts as his proudest achievement. But that was because of the turmoil off the pitch. MONEY MATTERS Williams added: 'We probably only got paid four months that year. I was working in a bar to put fuel in my car to get to Dublin for training, which no one knows. 'I was a full-time footballer…No money coming in, two young children, a mortgage…it was demoralising two years after nearly having your mortgage paid off! 'Myself and David Crawley, who also lived in Dundalk, missed some training sessions because we couldn't afford the petrol. 'But we still won the league. Of all my medals, that is the one that still takes pride of place because of what it took to win it. Advertisement 'It was, I suppose, an end of a chapter too as it was Shelbourne's last league before last year.' And while the League of Ireland has largely moved away from the boom and bust cycle then, Williams insisted that players must take the chance now, because it may never come again. He added: 'The year after we played Glentoran in the first round and won it well, but nothing ever matched the Deportivo year for us anyway. 'It helped me at Dundalk (as goalkeeping coach) as you could see what was needed. We were fit but didn't have the same technical level as Deportivo. 'Now the players are fitter - there is no gap in fitness to the top teams - and technically better as well so it become more a chess game where one thing can change a game. Advertisement 'When Dundalk reached the group stages, I felt that was it. At first we slogged for a few years, lost to BATE and a few others. 'But by the time we played BATE Borisov again (in 2016) we knew how to stay strong defensively, ride out the tough moments and win games. 'Shels….they'll fancy it against Linfield as I do think there is a difference in fitness. But it won't be a big difference.'
