Roy Keane was in Dublin today to help the FAI launch the SSE Airtricity National U17 League.
The league begins on August 9th, and will feature 22 clubs from across the country competing. 19 of those will be SSE Airtricity League clubs, and the venture is part of the associations’ elite player development programme.
The FAI’s High Performance Director Ruud Dokter says the league is “very important for Irish football”, and will feature the best young players in the country, who haven’t made a move to a club across the water, competing against one another on a regular basis.
The Dutchman is hopeful it will act as a bridge into elite football.
Keane, who was 19 when he signed for Nottingham Forest from Cobh Ramblers, believes the league is a “great idea,” and urged the young players in attendance at today’s launch at the FAI’s headquarters in Abbotstown, west Dublin, to use the league as an avenue into the adult game.
“It’s another stepping stone,” the Republic of Ireland assistant manager said. “At this age, with these boys, don’t try and look at like what’s going to happen in the next year or two. The top players in this group today, may not be the top players next year, (but) it (the U17 National League) gives the lads a chance to mature, play against better players.”
“We’ve all seen players who we’ve thought were definitely going to make it, and they lost their way. And lads who you weren’t sure about end up having decent careers. But at this age, these lads are going to play at the best level they possibly can.”
Keane also urged young players to be more positive towards the domestic league, and see it as another route to potentially getting a move across the water.
“Don’t be so negative towards playing league of Ireland football. I’ve said it from day one,” the former Manchester United and Ireland captain said.
“If you don’t get to England, and there’s a great chance you won’t get to England, look at League of Ireland as a positive, it’s no bad thing.”
“Hopefully kids today will look at that and see the league as a stepping stone. There’s plenty of time to get to England, that extra year in Ireland done me the world of good. It was a big part of me getting to England, and staying in England and having a half-decent career.”
Away from Irish football player development, Keane spoke about the qualifying draw for the 2018 World Cup. Ireland, who were seeded fourth in the draw, will be alongside Wales, Austria, Serbia, Georgia and Moldova in Group D.
The general consensus among Irish fans after last Saturday’s draw is that, while there are some tricky fixtures, it could’ve been a lot worse, and there’s no outright favourite for the top spot.
Keane, however, wouldn’t be drawn on whether the group is good or bad for Ireland, and appeared to see it as a bit of a distraction with Ireland currently in a fight to qualify for Euro 2016.
“I’m always a bit weary, because people always seem to make two comments, seeing it as a good or a bad draw, I never see it that way, I just see it as a draw.”
“I’ve been involved before and thought that’s not a bad draw for us, and we didn’t do very well, another draw I thought it looked tough and we managed to get out of it, obviously it’s going to be difficult.”
“The World Cup qualifiers will take care of itself, we’ve some pretty important games coming up in September. It seems strange that people try distract you from that.
“I don’t think teams are going to dread playing us, but we look forward to the games when they come around.”
“I just think every draw for Ireland at the moment is going to be tough.”
Wales, who are currently ranked 10th in the world, ahead of Spain, are the top seeds in Ireland’s group. The national team have been propelled in recent years by the talents of players such as Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey.
The duo play for Real Madrid and Arsenal respectively, and regularly compete in the Champions League. Keane admits he’d just be happy for Irish players to be primarily based in the Premier League, never mind the world’s elite club competition.
“They have a lot of lads playing regularly in the Premier League. I think we are short of lads playing week in and week out in the Premier League, never mind the Bales and the Ramseys who are playing Champions League football.
“Obviously the Champions League is fantastic, the highest level of football at the moment at club level, but for us we need lads first and foremost playing regularly and we don’t have enough lads doing that in the Premier League.
“We have a good few numbers in the Premier League but not all of them are regulars. A lot of the lads are in the Championship. So it makes it difficult. It rubs off on other players when you are working with top players. It does make you a better player. So we just need to get more players playing regularly in the Premier League.”
Dokter, the FAI and Irish football fans will also be hoping some of the initial crop of young players in the U17 National League can eventually be among those playing at such an elite level.
