WE NEED A GREAT MIDDLE MAN

Lack of quality in centre of pitch is holding Ireland back

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THIS has been a good news week for Irish soccer, by some accounts, due to the Government's decision to fund League of Ireland academies.

The sum involved isn't massive — and that is being kind — but it's a start and the expectation is that funding will come on an annual basis and will increase.

But here’s a list of former and current Ireland players from the last 40 years that those in charge of spending this money on youth development should ponder.

Ronnie Whelan, Andy Townsend, Paul McGrath, John Sheridan, Andy Townsend, Alan McLoughlin, Roy Keane, Mark Kinsella, Matt Holland, Lee Carsley, Kevin Kilbane, Keith Andrews, Glenn Whelan, Keith Fahey, Liam Lawrence, Paul Green, Steven Reid, Andy Reid, James McCarthy, Darron Gibson, Jeff Hendrick, David Meyler, Conor Hourihane, Josh Cullen, Jayson Molumby and Will Smallbone.

There are a few other names that you could throw in there, but that list covers most of those who've played central midfield for Ireland over the past four decades in competitive games.

Of the 26 players listed, only 12 were products of the Irish game. The rest came through the English system or, in the case of McCarthy, the Scottish one, and Gibson came through the ranks in Northern Ireland.

There was a chap called Declan Rice too who came through the English system, was seduced by Ireland, and we somehow let him slip through our fingers...