Robbie Brady’s summer transfer was significant from an Irish point of view for a number of reasons.
The Dubliner moved from relegated Hull City to newly promoted Norwich for €10 million.
In addition to being the last likely incoming Irish transfer to the Premier League this transfer window, Brady’s move means there will now be a grand total of one home produced Irish player under the age of 25 in the Premier League.
This offers a stark reminder of the current state of the Irish national team, and football development in the country.
Irish players are still the fourth most represented nationality in England’s top flight, and Martin O’Neill has more Premier League players to choose from than either Wales or Scotland.
However, the days of Irish players realistically competing for honours, or playing in the Champions League, seem to have passed, for the immediate future at least.
Shane Long will likely be the only Irish player based in England competing in European football next season.
With that miserable summation of the realities of the Irish players across the water out of the way, how will the Irish players in the Premier League fare next season?
We’ve counted 24 Irish players in Premier League squads for the coming season, and we’re looking at what each will be hoping for in the coming campaign.
From those who will hope to push on from good campaigns last year, those who will hope to do better to some, for whom, this year could be make-or-break.
Hoping to build on last season
Seamus Coleman
Club: Everton
Despite not hitting the heights of 2013/14, Seamus Coleman still had a productive season last year, scoring three goals, providing two assists and performing well in Europe.
At their best, Coleman and Leighton Baines are among the best attacking full-backs in the league.
Manchester United opted for Matteo Darmian ahead of Coleman, but the Donegal native can show Louis van Gaal what he missed out on with another productive season.
James McCarthy
Club: Everton
What does James McCarthy need to do to improve on last year? Basically more moments like this:
Against Manchester United in April, the 25 year old started Everton’s counter-attack, broke from his own box, ran the length of the pitch, collected the ball, beat two players and scored the opening goal of a 3-0 win.
McCarthy was the best player on the pitch.
Granted, Everton tend to monopolise possession, so counter-attacking opportunities are limited, but McCarthy needs to show more attacking ambition, if he’s to prove capable of playing for a Champions League side, rather than being happy to sit behind play.
Jack Grealish
Club: Aston Villa
Okay, so by the end of the 2015/16 season Jack Grealish could be an English player, but the last time he played international football it was for Ireland U-21’s, so we’ve decided to include him.
Grealish’s season mirrored Villa’s last year. Nothing happened until Tim Sherwood replaced Paul Lambert, a burst of impressive form was dampened somewhat by a crushing FA Cup final defeat.
However, Grealish, like Villa retaining their Premier League status, will have been happy to have solidified his starting place. Now can they both push on?
Villa have lost key players, such as Christian Benteke and Fabian Delph, but Grealish showed last season he isn’t fazed by responsibility and will be hoping for more moments like his assist against West Ham.
The 20-year-old drifted into space outside West Ham’s penalty area, collected the ball, committed defenders, drove to the by-line and squared it across the area for Tom Cleverley to tap in.
Such moments suggest Grealish can become a creative spark for Villa.
Ciaran Clark
Club: Aston Villa
Villa announced this week that Ciaran Clark has signed a new five year with the club. The defender was quietly impressive last year, and his season ending injury in April coincided with Villa’s defensive collapse. The next step for the 25-year-old is to secure a starting spot for Ireland.
A few more tackles like this will go down well with the Holte End too.
https://twitter.com/FootyAccums/status/628887121957396480
Robbie Brady
Club: Norwich City
Robbie Brady showed enough last year to warrant a significant transfer fee (€10 million), and now he needs to build on last year’s positives and secure a starting spot.
The 23-year-old was excellent against Manchester United on the final day of last season, troubling the opposition defence repeatedly with a series of fine deliveries.
His technical ability is worthy of a few more than the two assists he registered last season.
Harry Arter
Club: Bournemouth
Arter made his Ireland debut against England in May, topping off a great season in which Bournemouth won the Championship and Arter was named the club’s supporters’ players of the season.
The 25-year-old is a technically gifted, neat midfielder, with an eye for a spectacular strike. The Premier League will bring a step-up in class of opposition, but Arter has gone through the entire English football pyramid, and has fully earned his shot at establishing himself in the top flight.
Shane Long
Club: Southampton
Shane Long will most likely never score 20 goals in a Premier League season. What he can do though is become a starter in a top eight side and he’ll hope to do that this year, after a promising first season with Southampton.
Tommie Hoban
Club: Watford
The 21-year-old defender made 27 appearances for Watford in the Championship last season, and is an Irish underage international, born in London but qualifies for Ireland through his mother, who comes from Dublin.
With a change of manager at Watford, and promotion to the top flight, Hoban could potentially go out on loan, but remains one to watch for Irish fans.
More of the same
Jon Walters
Club: Stoke City
No matter how many ex-Barcelona players Stoke buy, there always seems to be a place for Jon Walters in the starting line-up. The 31-year-old registered four assists last season, scoring eight goals and had the best strike conversion rate in the Premier League.
Glenn Whelan
Club: Stoke City
Another near ever-present in the Stoke side, the departure of Steven N’Zonzi could increase Whelan’s midfield workload, but the Dubliner continues to defy popular consensus and play a starting role for both club and country.
Marc Wilson
Club: Stoke
27 appearances last season, 33 the year before and now an established first-choice in the Ireland team; Wilson will be hoping for more of the same this year.
Wes Hoolahan
Club: Norwich
This could be the last season in the top flight for Eamon Dunphy’s favourite player, Wes Hoolahan. The 33-year-old’s contract expires at the end of the season, and Norwich will most likely be in a relegation fight.
However, the Dubliner remains capable of unlocking a defence, and could chip in with some key moments.
Hoolahan started 36 Championship games last season, if he can repeat that in the Premier League it’ll have been a very productive season.
Damien Delaney
Club: Crystal Palace
The 34-year-old was a near ever present last year, starting 28 games as Palace comfortably secured their Premier League status. With no new defenders having arrived at Selhurst Park so far, Delaney will likely start the new season in the first XI.
Make or break season
Aiden McGeady
Club: Everton
The winger started last season in great form, scoring on the opening day of the season for Everton, and scoring two crucial, and brilliant, goals for Ireland away to Georgia last September.
It went downhill after that.
A combination of indifferent form, niggling injuries and the arrival of Aaron Lennon, meant McGeady didn’t play a minute of first team football in February, March and April.
Gerard Deulofeu has now joined Everton, and a permanent move for Lennon has been mooted, meaning McGeady’s already limited playing time could be further compromised.
A move away from Goodison Park before the end of the transfer window could still materialise.
Darron Gibson
Club: Everton
Gibson has been cursed by injuries the past two years, suffering a season ending knee injury while playing for Ireland in October 2013, returning, and starting for Everton last season, but had his season ended once again by an injury.
With Tom Cleverley arriving during this window, and players such as James McCarthy, Gareth Barry and Muhamed Besic already ahead of him, Gibson faces a fight to return to Everton’s first team when he eventually returns.
However, an injury-free season would represent a success for the midfielder.
James McClean
Club: West Brom
Nevermind the controversy that follows McClean around, the more pertinent question regarding the Derry winger is his ability. Just how good is he? So far in his career he has looked both Premier League and Sunday league standard.
From being relegated to League One, to being linked with a move to MLS, McClean surprisingly ended up at West Brom. The winger is now 26 and a successful season back in Premier League could establish his status as a top flight player.
Otherwise he could end up, without any disrespect intended, back in League of Ireland.
Treading water
John O’Shea
Club: Sunderland
When we say John O’Shea is treading water, we don’t mean it to be disrespectful to the Sunderland defender. However, with Sunderland coming precariously close to being relegated the past few seasons, this could well be the 34-year-old’s last season in the Premier League.
There’s only so many times Sunderland can pull of miraculous escapes.
Joey O’Brien
Club: West Ham
The 29-year-old defender only made nine Premier League appearances last season, and with Sam Allardyce gone, the manager O’Brien worked under at both Bolton and West Ham, one would imagine the Dubliner could soon follow.
O’Brien started a recent Europa League qualifier, but whether he’s in Slaven Bilic’s plans for the upcoming season remains to be seen.
Hoping for some playing time
Shay Given
Club: Stoke City
Darren Randolph
Club: West Ham
Rob Elliot
Club: Newcastle United
Rene Gilmartin
Club: Watford
All four of the Irish goalkeepers in the Premier League next season will be merely hoping to get some playing time.
It’s unclear whether Shay Given will be first choice at Stoke City, Darren Randolph will likely be back-up to Adrian and Rob Elliot won’t start ahead of Tim Krul.
Dubliner Rene Gilmartin will most likely be third choice ‘keeper at Watford, with Heurelho Gomes the club’s number one.
Eunan O’Kane
Club: Bournemouth
The Derry midfielder only made 11 appearances for Bournemouth last season, so one would imagine playing time could be even more limited now the club are in the top flight.
STATS: @WhoScored take a look at the performances of #afcb's Eunan O'Kane: http://t.co/xN4g9BoPUw #AFCBvSWFC pic.twitter.com/Higu5e9rIe
— AFC Bournemouth 🍒 (@afcbournemouth) April 27, 2015
Is he still playing?
Stephen Ireland
Club: Stoke City
Yes he’s still playing, and still Irish, but will never play for the national team again. Ireland also looks unlikely to ever fulfil the potential he showed a few years ago at Manchester City.
