“60 grand, 60 grand, Seamus Coleman! 60 grand, 60 grand, I say. 60 grand, 60 grand, Seamus Coleman. Playing football the Everton way!”
They’re not so easy to come across, those League of Ireland gems. Not easy at all.
Many a footballer has made that trek across that water in search of that dream but most of them haven’t made it. Most of them went over as teenagers, lives thrown upside down, told to sink or swim and survive in a world full of sharks.
Then you have the domestic players who dared to rise from right here at home. Those who tried to shine in the rough and those who got noticed. Big time.
But how many of them really lived up to the expectations weighted on them?
Even take the likes of Paddy McCourt. The right man in the wrong era. Did he really fulfill his potential across the water when he probably had the talent to be a legend and not a cult hero?
We’ve cobbled together a team of players who really had us talking during their stints in the League of Ireland but ultimately fell or are falling short of where we thought they would have ended up.
Brian Murphy
At 31 years of age, Brian Murphy is not where he should be. Warming the bench at QPR, the Waterford man is so far wide of where his talent had him going. Started as a teenager over at Manchester City and Swansea before coming back to Ireland and absolutely lighting it up at Bohs. Three seasons, three Goalkeeper of the Year awards and two league titles later, he was on a plane again over to England. But all has gone quiet once more.
Darren Kelly
One of the highest rated defenders to grace the League of Ireland, the Derry City man had two half-decent stints in England with Carlisle and York. When Kelly left as a 22-year-old, most assumed that was it. That the rest would take care of itself.
Colin Hawkins
A colossus, Hawkins first showed up during Ireland’s run to the U20 World Cup semi final under Brian Kerr. Constantly flirted with making it in England, having brief stints in Coventry, Doncaster and Brighton in between dominating back home.
Enda Stevens
Stevens tore it up in Ireland and joined Villa at the perfect time. The team was declining, left back options were dire and fans in Birmingham were actually calling for this young Irish lad to be given a shot. Lambert took over from McLeish at Villa Park and the 24-year-old has had to make do with four different loan spells since.
Jay O’Shea
If we’re picking captains, this man is the front runner. O’Shea has actually made a career across the water but, by God, he was IT. He the next big, big thing. He was talked up to the high heavens, joined Birmingham, made his debut at Old Trafford and wasn’t seen again. He’s been loaned around England for six years but looks to have settled at Chesterfield.
Gary Deegan
Another man who has made it stick but Deegan was absolutely top quality in Ireland. At 27, he’s with League Two outfit Southend.
George O’Callaghan
The delicious O’Callaghan failed to hit the heights his attacking maestro abilities suggested he would. Won Player of the Year when Cork took league honours in 2005 but, after he left Turners Cross for Ipswich, he played for 11 different teams in just five years – including two different spells back at Cork.
Stephen McLaughlin
Harsh in a sense that it is very early in McLaughlin’s career, but he left Derry two years ago with the entire north west convinced that he would absolutely rip it up across the water. 25 in June, McLaughlin hasn’t made the breakthrough at Forest that the Brandywell faithful assumed would come so easily to their starlet and the Donegal man is still fighting for game time on loan.
Karl Sheppard
Led the line during THAT Europa League run with Shamrock Rovers and didn’t go unnoticed, quickly picked up by Reading. Didn’t get a game at the Madejski though and was soon back in Dublin on loan before returning permanently.
Trevor Molloy
Another Brian Kerr product, the promising Ireland underage striker managed just two fleeting stints over with Carlisle and Motherwell.
Roy O’Donovan
Roy O’Donovan was another master during the league triumph in Cork 10 years ago. The City legend scored goals for fun during his time there before he was snapped up by Roy Keane in an Irish domestic transfer record, £400,000 to go over to Sunderland. Hasn’t happened for the Munster man and, at 29, he’s now in Indonesia. Playing with Mitra Kukar.
