The threat of relegation is a persistent concern for many Irish football players engaged with Premier League teams. Séamus Coleman and Nathan Collins are prime examples who have grappled with the threat annually. Furthermore, a substantial number of team members from the Republic of Ireland frequently descend to the EFL Championship, home to 38 of them.
Roughly put by Collins, “Séamie [Coleman] and I have been jostling with relegation annually for three consecutive years. We jest about it but it makes football all the more difficult, with the situation being subject to change after just a few matches. Team unity is paramount during our time with Ireland, but loyalty to our respective clubs can make us adversaries.”
A player’s substantial Premier League salary and future international caps are largely contingent on their team retaining their league status. But nowadays, the usual sight of Irish footballers at Old Trafford and Anfield is becoming an exception rather than rule. As an illustration, only the West Ham United forward Sean Moore, from Tom Mohan’s under-19s squad that was announced recently, holds a contract with an English top-flight club.
The current season has seen the involvement of a dozen Irish players in the league. However, this figure is arguably inflated due to Alex Murphy, hailing from Galway, having played just three minutes for Newcastle United against Chelsea back in November. Another teen player, Nathan Fraser, recently gained entrance to Wolverhampton Wanderers’ first team, but he passed up an under-21 debut against San Marino, indicating his eagerness in securing his own club status.
Among these elite, only five have managed to notch up double digit appearances. They include Dara O’Shea and Josh Cullen for Burnley (19th place), Chiedozie Ogbene for 17th-placed Luton Town, Collins for 15th-placed Brentford and Evan Ferguson for Brighton and Hove Albion.
John Egan’s absence from the frontlines at Sheffield United, the bottom-ranking team, is due to a season ending Achilles tendon injury. Coleman, now recovered from a knee injury and ready to be fielded by club and country, has only clocked up 233 minutes of play for 16th-placed Everton in his 35 years.
The list concludes with Liverpool’s Caoimhín Kelleher (who has participated in seven games), Matt Doherty who has had limited playing opportunity at Wolves, and Andrew Omobamidele, who has yet to take up a key position at Nottingham Forest since his September transition from Norwich City.
The 21-year-old footballer has shown considerable improvement recently, featuring in the starting line-up for five out of their last nine matches prior to Nottingham Forest’s severe blow to their survival hopes. The club got docked four points on Monday by the Premier League for violating the profit and sustainability rules, losing £34.5 million (€40.27 million) which is over the permitted loss limit for Premier League clubs.
This penalty has sent Forest into the relegation zone, winding up one point behind Ogbene’s Luton, with Everton also having been penalised six points due to their breaching of the over £105 million (€123 million) spending cap. As a result, Brentford and Collins can take a sigh of relief during the international break.
Footballers, being notorious for their locker room banter, took this as an opportunity to provide some dark comedy during their training in Abbostown, Ireland. According to Collins, he and Andrew have been exchanging friendly jabs on their respective point deductions, in typical light-hearted footballer fashion.
Omobamidele admits his initial months at the City Ground were tough, watching the first 14 out of 16 matches from the sidelines. With the arrival of Nuno Espirito Santo as their new manager in late December substituting Steve Cooper, he was given his much-awaited opportunity.
He acknowledges the points deduction was a hard blow, particularly when the team was scattered. Focused on preparing for an imminent match, he admits he didn’t have a lot of time to ponder over the implications.
The injuries to players like Egan, Liam Scales, and Shane Duffy are likely to provide an opportunity for Omobamidele to break into John O’Shea’s starting XI against Belgium. Omobamidele frequently discusses playing strategies with Nathan, who hails from the same locality. They also discuss the ongoing relegation turmoil as part of their discussions on gaining experience and learning to adapt quickly in the demanding sport.
Omobamidele has admitted that his most challenging adversary to date was Luis Diaz, the Colombian winger from Liverpool. Irrespective of your role in the Premier League, your defensive skills are bound to be assessed due to the high-quality nature of the league. As he takes part in each match, he is accumulating more knowledge and is compelled to enhance his skills every week due to the top-tier competitors.