Latest news with #BoysinGreen
Irish Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Fans fear attacker will choose England over Ireland with €35m deal agreed
Fans fear Liam Delap will opt for England over Ireland, with the attacker seemingly on the verge of joining Chelsea in a €35million move. The forward scored 12 goals for Ipswich in the Premier League this season. Delap's father Rory played for the Boys in Green 11 times and also represented Ireland at U21 level. However, his son is heading to Slovakia next month to represent England's Under-21s at the European Championship, but he is still eligible to play for Ireland. Heimir Hallgrímsson has met with the attacker and hasn't given up hope that he might one day play for Ireland despite the fact he has represented England at every age group except the senior side, unlike Jack Grealish and Declan Rice, who represented Ireland at various levels before switching to England. Asked if he had spoken with the 22-year-old, the Ireland manager said this week: 'We have sat with him, yeah, just told him we would love to have him in our camp. 'But, like I said, the focus is on the [England] Under-21s.' When asked if the former Manchester City youth player showed any interest in a switch, Hallgrímsson replied: 'Well he didn't say f**k off!' However, Ireland fans believe it is very unlikely that the forward will switch international allegiance to play for the Boys in Green. One wrote online: "He won't play for us. HH just doing his job to get him in. Worth a try." Another commented: "I'm sure Liam met him out of respect since his dad played for Ireland , ain't no way he's making the choice to play for Ireland while he has any chance of playing for England senior team." Someone else said: "In the immortal words of the legendary Johnny Giles, 'any young lad worth his salt who was born and raised in England will want to play for England'." "I think the die is cast here. Fair play to Delap he hasn't used the Irish age grades to make his way upwards. He's had a consistent position, good luck to him for the future," read another comment.
The 42
2 days ago
- Sport
- The 42
'Well, he didn't say f*** off' - Ireland boss on talks with Chelsea-bound Liam Delap
HEIMIR HALLGRÍMSSON HAD spoken about a handful of his Republic of Ireland players for the upcoming friendlies with Senegal and Luxembourg when conversation naturally turned to someone who has yet to have any involvement with the Boys in Green. Step right up Liam Delap. On a day when the Ipswich Town striker agreed a £30 million (€36m) move to Chelsea, informing the likes of Manchester United, Juventus and Newcastle United that their sales pitch was not sufficient, Hallgrímsson confirmed that they, too, had sat with the England Under-21 international to assess the lay of the land. The 22-year-old is still eligible for the upcoming U21 European Championships and will be part of Lee Carsley's squad for the tournament in the coming weeks. 'That is his focus at the moment. What will happen after that we will have to wait and see,' Hallgrímsson said. A senior pathway to the Ireland team, following in the footsteps of his father Rory, was made clear to him. 'Liam has good qualities, everybody knows that. We have sat with him, yeah. Just told him we would love to have him in our camp. But, like I said, the focus in the [England] under-21s.' Given he is a player who has progressed from Under-16 up with England and his club career is on the rise after a breakthrough season in the Premier League, the obvious question for the Ireland boss was whether Delap showed any interest in switching. Advertisement 'Well, he didn't say f*** off,' Hallgrímsson said, a deadpan delivery followed by a laugh. 'We want the best players available, always playing for us. Others might have other opinions. 'It is up to him. These questions you need to ask the player himself, not me. We always want the best players.' Attracting a player like Delap would be a coup, significantly bolstering options ahead of a World Cup qualifying campaign which the Ireland boss remains confident can end with reaching north America next summer. 'I think we have the material to qualify, sure. I think I have, again, from experience, have qualified with less talent than we have here,' the former Iceland boss said. 'So that's my take on this question. I know what you're getting at. Obviously, we would like more players to play at a higher level. And I think more players will play at a higher level. They're still not peaking in age and all of that. So I'm pretty confident that we will have more players playing more minutes in the top leagues.' After Seamus Coleman was forced to pull out through injury, Robbie Brady is the only player in the squad for the upcoming friendlies who was part of Euro 2016. If Ireland fail to reach the World Cup it means the country will have to wait until Euro 2028 – as one of the co-hosts – to play at a major international tournament. That 12-year-wait will be the longest since first making it to the European Championships in 1988. 'I can only say from my experience, once you have smelled it, you know how big it is and you would want to go again and again and again. They know that and we need them to spread that around the young players, just how massive it is and how fun it is,' Hallgrímsson said of reaching a tournament. 'These are the moments you remember when you stop playing. To share that experience is so important. I have spoken about Robbie [Brady], how good he has been since I came in, in the absence of Séamus, him and Doc (Matt Doherty) have needed to step up in the leadership role. Ireland boss Heimir Hallgrímsson speaking yesterday. Laszlo Geczo / INPHO Laszlo Geczo / INPHO / INPHO 'It's not only to qualify, it's the two months of being together that will continue to grow the team. That's not spoken of, but it's one of the reasons why it's always the same teams qualifying. They spend that valuable time together that other teams don't get. 'That is the valuable time for national teams, to be in camps in finals, it's something we really need at this moment.' Coleman's availability is also a necessity for Hallgrímsson, who believes some players might have called it quits at international level after dealing with some of the injury issues he's had. 'I think that is just an example of what kind of person he is, even though through this many players would probably have stopped. But he pushes himself always to the limit and he expects the same from others. And that's why he is so important for this young squad to grow. 'And just believe in his qualities. He's still in the Premiership and wants to be in the Premiership. Some players would have lowered maybe the standard around. So, but it just shows his mentality that he knows his quality and he knows he is helping a lot. I know Moyesey (Everton manager David Moyes) well and he respects him so much. So, no, it's big up for him, like we say in Jamaica,' Hallgrímsson said, smiling with the reference to his last job before coming to Ireland. 'We're selecting him (Coleman) even though he has little playing time. We've been in contact, so he knows our thoughts and we would like to have him. To have experience like him and to have leadership skills like him would be really important once you qualify for the World Cup, for example. So hopefully two more years.'
The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Heimir Hallgrimsson provides update on Seamus Coleman's Ireland future after captain forced to withdraw from squad
HEIMIR HALLGRÍMSSON has said that it will be Séamus Coleman's call on his Ireland future. The Everton man has been forced to withdraw from the Ireland squad for 2 Hallgrimsson didn't want to speak for Coleman as regards his future with Ireland 2 The 36-year-old has earned 73 caps since making his debut in 2011 Now 36, he is set to sign a new deal at Everton that will likely combine some coaching. But Hallgrímsson insisted he has a future with Ireland - once he wants to continue. Hallgrímsson said: 'That's for him to decide, not me. 'It's his decision, but I'm hoping – and I know the Evertonians are hoping - he will continue playing. 'I know he's going to be at Everton in whatever role, maybe a little bit more of a leadership role, but it's for him to answer if he's going to continue playing or not. Read More On Irish Football 'He is a leader in this squad and you cannot have his experience in many players. 'His experience, his leadership skills are one thing, but his quality as a player is another thing as well. 'He's been playing at the highest level for such a long time, so it's a shame for me and, of course the national team, not to have him around. 'But hopefully there will come another time for him, hopefully it will be just the off-season and he'll come fit and flying.' Most read in Football Coleman's thigh problem is not serious with Hallgrímsson saying he will recover in three weeks, though that ruled him out of the Ireland games. And the Boys in Green gaffer has also lost Ipswich Town striker Sammie Szmodics as he suffered a minor setback on his return from ankle surgery. Painful moment cheeky Chelsea star grabs team-mate's privates in X-rated celebration after Conference League triumph Hallgrímsson said: 'He played, I think, 10, 15 minutes in the last game for Ipswich, but the ankle got swollen afterwards. 'So we decided it's not worth the risk to have him in our squad now. Hopefully he will have a good pre-season and come in flying in September.' MORE MORAN The two withdrawals have meant Hallgrímsson has called up midfielder Andrew Moran of Brighton. He spent last season on loan at Stoke and saw just two minutes of action since March, though Hallgrímsson is confident that he is fit for the friendlies. The Ireland boss continued: 'I talked to him three or four days ago, he is fit, he's just that kind of player, he is light and it's not like he's overweight if he's not playing. 'He has been training really well and it's less risk to bring in a player that stopped playing in early May as he's young, he's that kind of player, fit and light so he can come in. 'His playing time at Stoke got less and less, maybe because it was a loan but we know his qualities, we see him as a part of the squad in the future. 'He is still young but he has qualities to play more position than one, he made a good impression with the minutes he played against England when he came in. In a tough game, he really impressed us." Squad: Kelleher (Liverpool), O'Leary (Bristol City), Keeley (Leyton Orient, on loan from Tottenham Hotspur), Doherty (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Collins (Brentford), O'Shea (Ipswich Town), O'Brien (Everton), Omobamidele (Strasbourg, on loan from Nottingham Forest), Scales (Celtic), Brady (Preston North End), Honohan (Shamrock Rovers), Knight (Bristol City), Phillips (St. Mirren, on loan from Crystal Palace), Smallbone (Southampton), Taylor (Ipswich Town), Finn (Stade De Reims), Parrott (AZ Alkmaar), Moran (Brighton), Ferguson (West Ham United, on loan from Brighton and Hove Albion), Idah (Celtic), McAteer (Leicester City), Ebosele (Istanbul Basaksehir), Manning (Southampton)
Irish Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Hallgrímsson on everything from Coleman's World Cup plans to tricky June windows
Heimir Hallgrímsson has expressed his hope that Seamus Coleman will be available for the World Cup qualifiers when they kick off in September. The Ireland manager would love to have the services of the Everton legend - both on and off the pitch - as the Boys in Green bid for a return to the world stage. Coleman has played in just one of Hallgrímsson's games in charge so far. He came off in the Nations League game at home to England with an injury and hasn't featured since. The Donegal native turns 37 in October, but he looks set to continue at Everton next season as they move into their brand new Bramley Moore Dock stadium. And Hallgrímsson, who on Thursday morning confirmed that the veteran would miss the June friendlies against Senegal and Luxembourg, is eager to tap into his experience. Here's what he said about Coleman and other topics during Thursday's press conference… 'He is a leader in this squad and you cannot have his experience in many players. His experience, his leadership skills are one thing, but his quality as a player is another thing as well. 'I know he's going to be at Everton (next season) in whatever role, maybe a little bit more (of a) leadership role, but it's for him to answer if he's going to continue playing or not. 'It's his decision, but I'm hoping – and I know the Evertonians are hoping - he will continue playing.' '(Will he be around for the World Cup qualifiers? )That's for him to decide, not me.' 'It would have been tough (heading into a World Cup qualifier) having a similar squad to Bulgaria when we played them to have a lot of players who finished a month ago, keeping them fit for an important game. 'We couldn't have done what we did, given them an extended holiday and off season so they will be fit in September so they will be rested when it comes to the new season. 'The June window has not been successful for Ireland in the past, it's been a tricky window, not playing for a month and then coming in to the national team camp for a game that's maybe on a higher level than you play on a regular basis. 'You are never 100 percent physically fit or mentally focussed after a holiday period, so yes, I am happy we are not playing World Cup group stage at this time.' 'His playing time at Stoke got less and less, maybe because it was a loan but we know his qualities, we see him as a part of the squad in the future. 'He is still young but he has qualities to play more position than one, he made a good impression with the minutes he played against England when he came in, in a tough game, he really impressed us. 'The last camp was more or less down to the playing time he had at Stoke, we also have good players in these positions.' 'Yeah, he will be available (for the start of the World Cup qualifiers). According to him he is going to be the fittest player in pre-season so definitely in September he will be ready for us.'
Irish Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
‘We're up against it' - Ireland coach's dire warning over lack of funding
Ireland Under-17 head coach Colin O'Brien has warned that Irish football risks falling way behind if Government funding for academies is not secured. O'Brien has led the Boys in Green to a first ever World Cup qualification at Under-17s level, where they will play Paraguay, Panama and Uzbekistan in the group stages. Their most recent European progression came in 2023, when a Lamine Yamal-inspired Spain eliminated Ireland at the quarter-final stage. It's not the big boys that O'Brien sees accelerating their youth development - he is aware of huge leaps being made beyond the top-tier sides. And a failure to make the Irish system fit for purpose will have devastating consequences for the game in this country at all levels, right up to the senior international team. 'I see it. I'm on the coal front. We're up against it,' he warned. 'We are competitive, but if we want to keep in those competitive layers, we have to secure funding. 'I'll always say this, it's not the Tier 1 countries I'd be comparing ourselves to, the Portugals, the Spains, they're just all on a different level completely and have been right through their history. 'I'm talking now about the Eastern Bloc countries. I'm talking about Tier 3 countries, Scandinavian countries. 'They are all developing and accelerating their resources and developments every year. ''For us to be in that mix, we really have to secure the funding. 'I think a lot of the plan is ready to push. The clubs have a lot of ideas that they want to do. 'But I think for me, then it allows getting full-time people in and working with the players at a younger age. It's going to be vital to our future.' O'Brien hopes that Ireland's success in reaching the World Cup - as one of just 11 European nations out of 54 to progress to November's tournament in Qatar - can move the funding conversation forward. 'I'm obviously very passionate about this as well because I've come through the whole system in this country,' said the former Cork City midfielder. 'I've played schoolboys, I've played Munster Senior League, I've played League of Ireland. 'I've dedicated myself to working with young players like a lot of people in this country and across different parts of the country. 'Yes, I think the Government could look at the World Cup, absolutely, but whether it's the World Cup or not, we have to secure funding. It has to be secured to progress basically. 'That funding, rightly (has to go on) infrastructure, facilities, but for me, we have to get expertise working in clubs that are full-time. 'That's going to take a long time to get, but it's going to have to start on the coaching side, on the administration side, on the performance side. 'The supports that need to go into our clubs earlier in order for us to progress and compete at international levels.' Ireland qualified for the World Cup as one of the best runners up in the qualifiers for the European Championships. UEFA's decision to reduce the tournament from 16 teams to eight meant that O'Brien's side missed out on this month's finals - but their performances in the qualifiers earned them the huge consolation prize of a spot in Qatar, where the tournament will consist of 48 teams. Putting Ireland's qualification into context, O'Brien said: 'Spain haven't qualified for this. 'At senior level, we all know about them, and another country that would be a huge powerhouse in youth football is the Netherlands, two of those countries haven't qualified for this. 'We have. We're doing something right. 'I'm doing this a while now, this is my eighth year and this will be our fifth major competition for this age group. We've been to four European finals and this will be our first World Cup. 'What can it do for the country? It can inspire, it can showcase the talent we have. 'To get out of Europe, it's an incredible achievement and one that has to be acknowledged, but now we have to move on… 'How do we make that the norm is the question that probably ties into the whole Government, the whole facilities, funding.' Preparations for the World Cup begin next week when Ireland head to Croatia for friendlies against three Under-18 sides - Norway (June 4), Turkey (June 7) and Croatia (June 9).
