Latest news with #ColinO'Brien
Irish Independent
3 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Ireland U-17 boss Colin O'Brien says LOI academy funding is vital
Ireland U-17 boss Colin O'Brien hopes that his team's historic participation at the World Cup later this year can help drive home the urgent need for investment in domestic academies.
Irish Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Ireland boss hopes to head off World Cup club v country row
Ireland Under-17 head coach Colin O'Brien says he will be 'in communication' with clubs over the coming months in a bid to bring as strong a squad as possible to the World Cup in November. Several members of his latest squad are currently playing senior football in the League of Ireland, including Shamrock Rovers duo Michael Noonan and Victor Ozhianvuna. Rovers are in League of Ireland action until November 1, with the FAI Cup taking place a week later. And last year they were still in Europe going into November and December. With the World Cup falling outside of an official FIFA international window - O'Brien will have to rely on the goodwill of club managers to release their players for the tournament. 'It's one we've got to manage and just watch as time unfolds over the summer,' said O'Brien. 'Certain teams might have leagues wrapped up, might be in or out of cups, but look, the World Cup, you want your best players. 'What an opportunity to showcase individuals from our clubs in this country as well. For me, you won't get a better stage for young players. But it's something I'm very aware of and I will be in communication with clubs. At the end of the day, the players are contracted to the clubs. But we'll want our best players for the World Cup. 'Hopefully when you're asking me that question in late September, early October, we have more clarity on it.' O'Brien hopes club bosses see the bigger picture when it comes to the World Cup. 'It's historic for this age group, absolutely,' he said, of Ireland's first ever qualification at this level. 'I saw those teams that qualified under Brian Kerr and got to those World Cups, and it can really absolutely kick a player's career on. 'They are on the world stage. You are going to have every confederation, every scout, not just from Europe but from all over the world, looking at all these kids, and we are right in there. 'Of course it can have a bounce for the players, for their career. But as a head coach you have to make sure that it is very important about their player development. 'But any player that comes into our Under-17 set up has to understand that the team is the biggest star, and they all have to come on board with that. 'Of course the player can get a big bounce for their future, and the country as a whole.'
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).
The Irish Sun
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Colin O'Brien warns of club v country showdown ahead of Ireland's U17 World Cup campaign
COLIN O'BRIEN confirmed the World Cup has the potential for a club versus country row - but argued that there is no greater stage for Ireland's rising stars. The Ireland Under-17 manager yesterday named his squad for three friendlies in Croatia next week that begin preparations for 2 Republic of Ireland manager Colin O'Brien reckons a club v country row could ensue ahead of the U17 World Cup 2 Republic of Ireland manager Colin O'Brien and his side travel to Qatar in November Ireland know they will face But the Boys in Green's first World Cup appearance at Under-17 level has the potential for issues with clubs, as the squad will get together on October 27. That is a few days before the League of Ireland Premier Division finale on November 1, and FAI Cup final on November 8, with the promotion relegation play-off also that week. And with the likes of Shamrock Rovers' Michael Noonan, Galway's Cillian Tollett, and Finn Harps Josh Cullen all in first team action, the Ireland gaffer admitted talks will be needed. Read more on football He said: 'There is not a FIFA window at that time. It's one we've got to manage and just watch as time unfolds over the summer. 'Certain teams might have leagues wrapped up, might be in or out of cups. It's something I'm very aware of and I will be in communication with clubs. 'At the end of the day, the players are contracted to the clubs. But we'll want our best players for the World Cup. 'Hopefully when you're asking me that question in late September, early October, we have more clarity on it. Most read in Football 'There will be a time when we'll have to talk about it, but right now, we've got to let the players get on and the club's get on with making their mark in Europe and in the country.' Clubs are not obliged not release players as it is not in a FIFA window though O'Brien is arranging all warm-up fixtures on official international dates. 'You can't make this up' - Irish fans in stitches at Ruesha Littlejohn's playful prank upon Katie McCabe's camp arrival And he stressed that it is not a League of Ireland-only issue, as players around Europe - like Rory Finneran at Newcastle United and Jaden Umeh at Benfica - are playing at a higher age group for their clubs at the moment. But he stressed that the World Cup is a great platform for an exciting crop of players who have come through the hardest route to reach Qatar. He said: 'The World Cup, you want your best players, what an opportunity to showcase individuals from our clubs in this country as well. 'For me you won't get a better stage for young players. It's historic. For us to get there, it's the hardest Confederation and toughest Confederation to get out of. 'We started out in the tournament, there were 54 countries, that then goes into a second phase of 28…we got to there. 'Then out of 28, the Under-17 Euros…only seven teams qualified. We would have qualified if this was last year, because we finished second (at it was a 16-team tournament). 'What they did then is they gave 11 places for the World Cup. there were seven groups going on in March but only four countries qualified from the other seven. 'Spain haven't qualified for this (or) the Netherlands….we have. We're doing something right. '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. 'It can inspire, it can showcase the talent we have, for me the big one as well, it's the generation that are coming underneath the 17s group.' O'Brien also acknowledged the profile on his team could help put more political focus on funding football. He added: '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. 'We're up against it. 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 one 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 three 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.' Squad: Moloney (Southampton), A Noonan (Shamrock Rovers), Butler (Wexford), Cullen (Finn Harps), Gabbidon (Malmo), Kovalevskis (Shamrock Rovers), Leonard (Dundalk), McDonagh (Venezia), Spaight (Dundalk), Sherlock (Hoffenheim), Finneran (Newcastle United), McAteer (Finn Harps), McMahon-Brown (Burnley), Ozhianvuna (Shamrock Rovers), Akinrintoyo (Shamrock Rovers), Hayes (St Patrick's Athletic), Lee (Shamrock Rovers), M Noonan (Shamrock Rovers), Tollett (Galway United), Umeh (Benfica).
The Irish Sun
6 days ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Ireland U17s face the unknown in tricky World Cup group as Qatar draw throws up surprises
IRELAND have been drawn with Panama, Paraguay and Uzbekistan in Group J of the Under-17 World Cup. 2 Republic of Ireland head coach Colin O'Brien and his side have learnt their fate for the World Cup in November 2 The World Cup and FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025 Finals Draw took place in Doha on Sunday They will face Panama on Wednesday November 5, Uzbekistan three days later and Paraguay on Tuesday November 11 The top two teams in each group, along with the eight best third-placed sides, will qualify for the Round of 32. From the Round of 32 onwards, the tournament will be played in a knockout format. O'Brien said: 'It's exciting and very intriguing coming up against different countries from different confederations. 'We've Asian, South American and Central American opposition and it will be a superb experience for the players and the staff. read more on football 'Often people judge young international sides by their senior teams but you never know, a team could have a special group of players who we so happen to be coming up against. 'The draw is done so the hard work for the tournament begins. "We have our opening game date, we have our opponents and we'll be looking forward to the World Cup.'
