Latest news with #IrelandUnder-21
Irish Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Manchester Utd boss hails youngsters as Ireland U21 man makes second appearance
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim says there is 'space in our team' for the young players that featured this week in the club's end-of-season tour of Asia. Ireland Under-21 midfielder Jack Moorhouse made appearances in both games - against ASEAN All-Stars on Wednesday in Malaysia and Hong Kong, China on Friday. Moorhouse, who links up with Jim Crawford's squad next week for their two friendlies in Zagreb - against Croatia and Qatar's Under-23s - started the first game, while he was brought off the bench with 16 minutes remaining on Friday. Fellow youngster Jimmy Thwaites and goalscorer Chido Obi were singled out for praise - but Moorhouse is also highly regarded. His performance against ASEAN All-Stars won him several plaudits as he showed just how comfortable he was carrying the ball in his attacking midfield role. While it has been suggested that a loan move might be his best option for first-team football next season, Amorim is keeping an open mind when it comes to his academy stars. 'I really like the kids,' he told MUTV after Friday's 3-1 win. 'I think Jimmy (Thwaites), in the last 15 minutes, as a midfielder, he wants to play. It doesn't matter how many minutes. 'These kind of young kids are really important. They will have space in our team. 'Of course, it's a good feeling [for Obi to score twice] but he needs to continue to train really hard because the Premier League is a different world. 'We have to improve as a team but I'm really pleased with the kids. It's important for us to control these kids, to show them that to be a professional in Manchester United it's really hard to maintain the level.' Amorim said ahead of Wednesday's game that he would look to tap into the club's underage structures to support his first-team squad next season. 'It was the past,' he said of the club's history of blooding young players, 'so it can be the future.' Moorhouse (19) has already appeared twice on the bench in the Premier League - for games against Tottenham and Arsenal - and he was there again in both Europa League legs against Lyon.
Irish Daily Mirror
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Tottenham-bound teen brushes aside ex-Arsenal man to score brilliant goal
There was a touch of North London rivalry in the League of Ireland on Friday night, as Tottenham-bound Ireland Under-21 striker Mason Melia made light work of former Arsenal prospect James Olayinka to score for St Patrick's Athletic against Waterford. Melia had already netted his fifth goal of the season - and his third in his last four games - to drag the Saints back into the game, after they went behind to an early goal by former Pat's striker Tommy Lonergan. Melia levelled in the 28th minute with a clever turn and strike, as he got to Joe Redmond's low shot before Blues defender Darragh Leahy could block the effort. Five minutes later, Melia scored his second of the night, a wonderful solo effort that saw him race from inside his own half to put the hosts in front. Waterford were on the attack when Pat's launched the ball clear. Olayinka mis-controlled on half-way and Melia was straight onto it. Even though the ex-Gunner was the last defender, Melia still had plenty of work to do. 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. But the 17-year-old showed great acceleration and pace to burst past his 24-year-old opponent, and race into the area, where he finished low inside the left-hand post. Melia will head to Tottenham next January after he turns 18, with Pat's and Spurs agreeing an initial €1.9m fee - a League of Ireland transfer record. You can see the goal here...
Irish Daily Mirror
22-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Daily Mirror
Ireland U21 boss makes Government plea on Academy funding
Jim Crawford believes the potential is there to turn Irish football into a powerhouse of player production - once the funding is there to invest into academies nationwide. The Ireland Under-21 boss yesterday named his squad for the June friendlies against Croatia and Qatar in Zagreb, and included were 16 players that currently play or have played in the League of Ireland or the EA SPORTS LOI Academy. Up to now, however, investment has been piecemeal, and has mostly come from private coffers, as opposed to the state purse. Crawford's former club Shelbourne yesterday announced a major development in their academy structure when they secured an 18-year lease at the AUL Complex in north Dublin. The deal will see major redevelopment work undertaken, including four state-of-the-art pitches, the construction of a new all-weather pitch, and the addition of multi purpose meeting spaces for homework for young players, team meetings, analysis sessions, and coach education workshops. The money for the project will come from a €500,000 grant from the Community Sport Facilities Fund, along with investment from the League of Ireland champions' shareholders. Speaking to MirrorSport, Crawford hailed the work being done around the country - and said that structured investment in clubs nationwide would transform the fortunes of the game here. 'That's what we need - investment. There are no two ways about it,' he said. 'There has got to be investment and there has got to be a plan at each club when money becomes available. 'I'm sure if the Government are going to give money to clubs that there has to be an audit to say here's where the money went and here's the by-product of that. 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. 'I've got to give full credit to League of Ireland clubs and academies, they are working exceptionally hard around the clock to develop players. 'I have certainly seen them in action and they work exceptionally hard, and that's brilliant. 'But could you imagine how successful we could be in developing players if we had the resources? ' What I mean by that is, if you have the resources, you can create an industry here. 'Whereas now you have got good coaches with these players, working with them, (you could give) them more contact time. And It has got to be quality contact time. 'I know it has been up for debate before - you'll hear stories of coaches and technical directors from different countries saying, we've got x amount of contact hours with the players, but how many of them are quality contact hours? 'I think we have shown that with limited resources that if we had more time with the players, we would certainly have a different product, if we could create an industry. 'You are just hoping that the Government will row in and give us that investment that we need to help our players reach their potential.' The League of Ireland is playing an increasingly important role in the national team at all levels, as evidenced by Crawford's latest squad. Mason Melia, the Tottenham-bound St Patrick's Athletic striker, became Ireland's youngest ever goalscorer at Under-21 level during the last window. His move to north London next January will break the League of Ireland transfer record - and Pat's will likely earn much more than the initial €1.9m fee agreed with Spurs. Cork City's Cathal O'Sullivan is wanted by a host of Premier League sides. He also gets his first call at this level, as does 20-year-old Drogheda United forward Warren Davis, who has already scored six goals this season. Shamrock Rovers' 19-year-old defender Cory O'Sullivan, another first-time call-up, has already played 13 times in the Premier Division this season. He also featured in Rovers' historic Europa Conference League tie with Molde in February. Crawford believes the likes of Melia, Davis, the two O'Sullivans, Sean Grehan - on-loan at Bohemians from Crystal Palace - and Sligo Rovers' Jad Hakiki are all in a good place right now. 'I think (the League of Ireland) is excellent for their development, playing these games,' he said. 'It's a great environment for you to develop in terms of big games, something at stake. 'Some of the players here have played in Europe and that is only going to help their development even further. 'But because it's a performance space, you can't neglect the development side of the player. 'Somebody like Mason, and I'm only using Mason as an example because I do know that Mason gets exceptionally well looked after from a coaching perspective at St Pat's, sometimes when you are in that performance space, you have got to win, win, win, and the development piece is put on the backseat. 'But if you have got a good coaching team who understands player development, okay, you have got performance space, but let's work with this player, whether it's in a classroom where you are going through clips of, how can we make this player better, how can we make him reach his ceiling, that has got to be incorporated into a club programme. 'I have no doubt it is at Rovers, Cork, Drogheda, Pat's, Bohs, and I do know that because I talk to players and coaches.' Those coaches, and those working in academies around the country, just need financial backing. 'The clubs have done unbelievable work,' Crawford said. 'If they were given that financial support and assistance, where could we go next? 'We have got some excellent coaches in our system here who can only go and help players even more. 'You'd like to think that clubs have got their house in order with regards to administrators, so if the money comes in it can be used wisely. I think there is real potential here in this country.'
