Underage squads: Best Prospects

We are very proactive when it comes to sourcing and capping dual-eligible players across all age groups. For all Noel King's myriad faults, he stocked up on English-born players who weren't nearly as good as Odubeko just because they happened to be eligible for us. We're very aggressive in that regard. I just cannot envision a scenario where a player as highly rated as Odubeko would've been left out in favour of other players - even if we have an abundance of highly rated forwards across the age groups.

I'm curious as to what other ways the situation can be managed aside from simply calling up the players? Call up a player who has never made a senior appearance directly into the senior squad?

That's not to make any inferences about what Odubeko's thinking BTW. But if he's inclined to represent England, and is good enough, IDK how that can possibly be counteracted TBH.

Hopefully he feels Irish and wants to play for us but the fact we're even having this conversation is a bit worrying. His situation is similar to Armstrong Okoflex and he accepted a call-up quite readily for England, while his father was noncommittal about his son representing us: https://www.balls.ie/football/irish-players-tug-of-war-406280

He's way underdeveloped for that age-group, only turning 16 next month.

Kenny has always talked about fast-tracking the best talent through the age-groups but 17's is fine for this lad for this year and let him develop.

On another note Evan Ferguson made his Brighton under 23's debut a couple of days ago.

I thought that deal had fallen through but turns out his mother is English. Another one we have to worry about (This one is doubtful but I did laugh when I red that)

He'll have an Italian option in four years no   ?  

Would be fascinated to see will he be in our underage squads for the foreseeable future.

People talk about parents etc. but teenagers are mostly influenced by peers.

Yes. Why not? 

Wales and the north have both done it recently and Wales has easily been stronger than us. Our squad is sh*te, I don’t know why people think we’re above calling up youth players when better sides are doing it. USA does it, Canada does it. Basically every non-top side does it. 

Ethan Ampadu was eligible for us and his bloody dad even played for us. Wales had him in at 16. Wales have secured several very talented dual nationals by getting them in at 16-17 and showing them a setup with a good pathway for them. They offered something the likes of England couldn’t offer. Why are we not doing the same? 

Instead we’ve been handing debuts to 30 year olds and slowly integrating 25 years and calling them young. Our handling of it has been a joke. 

Create an enticing set up that makes young talented players invested in it and wanting to play in it. We need to help them as much as they are helping us. Just doing nothing and saying well if he feels Irish he’ll play for us isn’t how it works. And is exactly why we’ve lost the best talents and our set up is complete sh*t. 

Choose the biggest talents and get them up the age groups. Say Joe Hodge or whoever you deem worthy, England is offering him his age group. So all we do is the same? No, create an actual plan for him, show him the progression we’re offering is better for his career. Show them we care more about them. Give them a reason to feel connected to Ireland. Wales have done it and it’s worked tremendously. 

Someone like Hodge or Kelleher or others, are at top clubs. Clubs that are about 100x better than Ireland. So why do we need to wait for them to play for City and Liverpool before getting them into the senior squad? Wales called up Levitt, the North has called up Galbraith on the back of PL u23s matches. Manchester United is far better than Wales or the North so it’d be stupid to require them to be in the first team. 

If we’ve got a lad killing it in the PL u23s, get them into the senior squad. Get them integrated early. It’ll benefit us in the long run and it’ll benefit the player too. Getting exposure of a senior international cap at a young age and a good performance suddenly has better prospects on their door. Better loan offers or more first team football at a parent club. 

brilliant post... right on the money