5 Irish players set for regular Premier League football and 7 on the periphery
Caoimhín Kelleher
Kelleher joined Brentford from Liverpool in the summer for €14 million, potentially rising to €21 million in add-ons. The 26-year-old looks set to be finally given a chance as a regular number one, having spent years at the Reds as arguably the Premier League's most reliable back-up stopper. The Cork native already has 25 Premier League appearances under his belt and featured 67 times in all competitions for the Anfield outfit, so he's not short of top-level experience. It'll be interesting to see how he fares with a team that doesn't invariably dominate the ball and concede minimal chances, although he has some experience of that too with Ireland.
Nathan Collins
Since joining Brentford for a club-record €26.6 million in the summer of 2023, Collins has swiftly developed into a key player for the Bees. The 24-year-old's importance has been highlighted by the fact that new manager Keith Andrews has appointed his fellow Irishman as club captain. Collins was the only outfielder to play every single minute of Premier League action last season, and such reliability has drawn interest from elsewhere, with Tottenham and Liverpool among the clubs rumoured to be admirers of the Leixlip native.
Josh Cullen
Another Irish international who is the captain of his club. The 29-year-old featured in 44 of Burnley's 46 appearances as they were promoted from the Championship as runners-up last season. And Cullen featured in 25 of 38 matches as the Clarets were relegated from the Premier League the season before last. And the 42-times capped Ireland player is expected to play a prominent role again. The Lancashire-based outfit will be among the favourites for the drop again, but Cullen now has over 100 appearances to his name at Burnley alone, and that level of experience will be invaluable in their bid to avoid relegation.
Jake O'Brien
Having looked surplus to requirements in the first half of last season after moving to Everton from Lyon in a €20 million deal, O'Brien became a regular after David Moyes replaced Sean Dyche as manager. The 24-year-old made 20 top-flight appearances in total, scoring two goals, and the majority of those came at right-back. The Toffees have been linked with a player who specialises in that position, Kellen Fisher, but O'Brien is expected to get plenty of game time regardless, potentially in his favoured position at centre-half.
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Matt Doherty
Another Irish player who benefited from a change in manager last season. Doherty ended up making 30 Premier League appearances last season, but it was only when Vítor Pereira replaced Gary O'Neil as coach that he became a regular starter. The Dubliner will be 34 in January, but, after difficult spells at Tottenham and Atletico Madrid, he has looked increasingly rejuvenated since returning to Wolves. Key to his resurgence has been a positional switch — Doherty now mainly operates as a right-sided centre-back and is no longer required to exhibit the immense physicality required to be a Premier League wing-back. He has made 60 top-flight appearances overall in his last two seasons at Wolves, compared to 44 in three campaigns at Spurs, and he can expect plenty of game time again this season as he is a player Pereira trusts.
7 on the periphery
Alan Browne of Sunderland lifts the EFL Championship Play Off trophy. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo
Alan Browne
Much like with the Irish national team, Browne appears to be considered a squad player rather than a guaranteed starter for Sunderland. The midfielder made 22 Championship appearances for the Black Cats last season, 13 of which were starts. The 30-year-old was unlucky because he suffered a leg fracture that meant he missed a substantial portion of the 2024-25 season and was playing catch-up by the time he returned to full fitness. So he could conceivably play a role in the upcoming campaign if he avoids further injuries. But while Jobe Bellingham's €37 million departure to Borussia Dortmund frees up one place, the arrival of four midfielders – Enzo Le Fée (€22 million), Habib Diarra (€35 million), Noah Sadiki (€20 million), and Granit Xhaka (€20 million) — suggests it won't be any easier for Browne to get in the team and a move away may be required.
Nathan Fraser
One of the young players who has tended to go under the radar, the 20-year-old Ireland underage international made seven Premier League appearances for Wolves in the 2023-24 campaign, though it was amidst an injury crisis at the club. He has yet to score in the top flight, but he did find the net in both the FA Cup and League Cup last season. However, the fact that he started just once in the league suggested he had some way to go before establishing himself as a regular and the theory was backed up last season, when he failed to make a single appearance for the club and had a disappointing loan spell with Belgian side Zulte Waregem that was brought to a halt after five appearances. According to The Athletic, a substantial part of the last campaign saw Fraser work on a programme 'designed to improve his physicality'. The youngster has a contract at Wolves until 2028, though he still appears to be well down the pecking order and is expected to make another loan move this season.
Seamus Coleman
A hugely respected figure at Everton, but despite a total of 428 games for the Toffees and a one-year contract extension awarded to him last June, it seems the 36-year-old's days as a regular starter are over. Coleman made five Premier League appearances last season, only three of which were starts and the most recent led to his withdrawal in the 18th minute due to injury. He made a total of 12 appearances the previous season, and the odds are against the Donegal native getting into double figures this term. But his influence around the club as long-time captain is ostensibly the reason why he has been kept on, and it would be no surprise to see the Toffees legend graduate to a coaching role eventually.
Mark Travers
Another Irish Evertonian, Travers joined the club from Bournemouth for €4.6 million in the summer. However, the Maynooth native is not expected to displace Jordan Pickford as first-choice and will likely have to settle for a role as back-up goalkeeper. The 26-year-old had a similar status for most of his time in the first team at the Cherries (he spent nine years there in total), making four Premier League appearances last season in addition to 18 on loan at Middlesbrough in the second half of the campaign.
Alex Murphy
Since joining from Galway United in 2022, the 21-year-old has made two Premier League substitute appearances for Newcastle in the 2023-24 campaign. The defender also played 13 times on loan in the second half of last season at Bolton, as they finished a few points off the League One play-off places in eighth. Murphy is not expected to break into Newcastle's star-studded team this campaign, so another loan move might be his best option, though the fact that he signed a new long-term contract with the Magpies last year suggests the club rate him highly.
Andrew Moran
One of Ireland's most promising youngsters, Moran has already made one Premier League appearance for Brighton, coming off the bench in the January 2023 win over Everton. In the last two seasons, the midfielder has made 70 Championship appearances in respective loan spells at Blackburn and Stoke City. This form has seen him rewarded at international level, with Moran winning three Ireland caps — one under Stephen Kenny and two since Heimir Hallgrímsson took charge. It is still a big ask for the 21-year-old to break into a Brighton side with considerable depth, so he may be on the move again before the transfer window closes at the end of the month.
Michael Obafemi
Memorably contributed a goal and assist in Ireland's 3-0 June 2022 Nations League win over Scotland, but it's fair to say that it hasn't worked out as hoped for player and country alike since then. The striker has 12 caps in total, but has only featured once since 2023, largely owing to injury and form-related issues at club level. The 25-year-old did appear twice in Burnley's 2023-24 Premier League campaign, but has not worn the club's colours in almost two years, while he has not made a single league start for the team since joining from Swansea in January 2023. In the last two seasons, he has had relatively underwhelming loan spells in the Championship with Millwall and Plymouth, scoring four goals in 43 appearances. Another exit — either temporary or permanent — is expected, with a move to the Turkish side, Kasimpasa, already falling through during the summer.
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