League here offers rich pickings for British clubs

Emmet MaloneOn Soccer

Roy O'Donovan's observation while in Iceland at the weekend that he does not see himself being part of whatever future Cork City's new owners look to carve out may have come as little surprise. But it did serve as a reminder that with the summer transfer window about to open we could be in for another outflow of talent from the league here.

Traditionally, of course, players left Ireland in their mid-teens and came back only if and when they had failed to make it, failed to settle or decided to retire back here. Significant shifts in the economics of the game on both sides of the Irish Sea have, however, resulted in the development of new movement patterns.

The evolution of better coaching and full-time set-ups here has enabled a growing number of players to establish themselves before moving to Britain as senior professionals. And growing finances have allowed the leading League of Ireland clubs compete for Irish players who still have a range of options in Britain.

The leading example of this latter phenomenon is Jason Byrne. Having turned down a succession of chances to move abroad, he was finally persuaded to go to Cardiff as the wheels came off the Shelbourne wagon at the start of the year. Six months on, he's a target for St Patrick's Athletic, who are offering a realistic alternative in the event he wants to return home.

Hardly surprisingly, Byrne (29) is apparently keen to stay in Wales after half a season or so during which he scored on his debut but ended up with just two starts, eight other appearances and no further goals to his credit.

John McDonnell's side have been linked with a number of other players, most notably Seán Thornton and Willo Flood (formerly of Sunderland and Manchester City), and are reportedly willing to pay around €4,000 per week - very much new financial territory for a club hereabouts - to get their man. Talks are apparently continuing on a couple of fronts but so far nobody has been landed.

British clubs, meanwhile, can be expected to take another long look at what is available here over the next few weeks after their largely successful shopping spree back in January.

More than a dozen players moved in the space of a couple of weeks back then, and while not all have since set the world on fire, there have been a few noteworthy success stories and a couple more who have done enough to suggest they may make an impact next season.

At around 22,000, Seán Dillon must be nearly Dundee United's best bargain of recent years. The versatile Dubliner made his debut in a 5-0 defeat by Rangers but played well and got 16 games for the SPL club in the following few months.

Also in Scotland, Danny Murphy did well with Motherwell before missing the end of the season, and Mark McChrystal settled impressively at Partick Thistle - though the ease with which Derry City beat Gretna suggested many players here could easily survive in the first division.

David Forde, Byrne's team-mate at Cardiff, got his chance in the first team after the first-choice goalkeeper, Neil Alexander, fell from grace. And while Forde did not manage a clean sheet in seven games, he has expressed confidence he can hang on to his place next season.

Cardiff are aiming to provide him with a rival for the next campaign, and the quality of the new arrival will indicate Dave Jones's opinion of Forde.

If Forde still has to prove himself, the form shown by Stephen Ward, Colin Hawkins and George O'Callaghan did support the argument that the league's better players can cope with life in the Championship.

Having threatened to become something of a sensation at Wolves when scoring three times in five February games and landing the division's "player of the month" award, Ward went somewhat quiet, but like Hawkins he has played regularly and looked comfortable.

Few would ever have doubted O'Callaghan was technically good enough to make it at Ipswich; for him the real test was always going to be in other areas. But after his long lay-off the midfielder did more than enough in four starts and eight games from the bench to suggest he is back on track.

Of the remaining players who moved early in the year, Alan Bennett finds himself linked with a move from Reading to the lower divisions, but the centre back insists he is going nowhere yet.

Steve Coppell has an impressive track record of giving players a fair chance and Bennett did enough in the United States to suggest he can make the step-up.

Jamie Harris, meanwhile, was frustrated by injury after moving to Dunfermline and should be a regular next year. And Bobby Ryan will hopefully put a disappointing start with Stephen Kenny's side behind him after indicating he too is determined to establish himself away.

Of course the paltry fees and modest wages involved in recruiting players keen on what they see as good career moves mean that for the buying clubs players like those mentioned above come more or less risk-free.

Reports that Hull City have offered €750,000 for O'Donovan would suggest their performances have been enough to persuade middle-ranking English outfits a player who looks good here is worth pursuing with a little bit more money.

As it happens, the sum has been denied and would certainly seem high for a player who, remarkably, says he has not been offered a deal by City to replace the one that runs out at the end of the season.

Whatever the financial considerations, however, O'Donovan clearly reckons he will be on the move soon. And having followed more or less in the footsteps of Kevin Doyle so far, the 21-year-old has the potential to copperfasten the league's growing reputation as fertile ground for British buyers with an eye for a bargain.