The Irish youth team manager and the FAI's technical director, Brian Kerr, yesterday spoke of his growing concerns at the serious lack of educational development young Irish footballers are showing after they join professional clubs in Britain.

With more young players than ever being signed up by British clubs, and at a younger age, coupled to an increase in the already huge failure rate, Kerr says he is gravely worried for their future.

"All of this squad here in Israel are away and the current under-15 and under-14 sides are already virtually all spoken for by English clubs. We've asked the players we have here in Israel what they do in their spare time at their clubs and they tell us they play snooker and watch television. Very few of them are being educated about life, about books. Their concentration levels are very poor."

Meanwhile, Kerr reshuffles his team in preparation for this morning's Group A wooden-spoon decider against England at Ashqelon. Brian Murphy will start in goal while right winger David Murphy, the other player who hasn't featured in the defeats to Portugal and Russia, will get a run at some stage in a reshaped 4-4-2 formation.