"One of my associated analysis theories is that because of the pressure, they have to buy players. Criticism in England comes in terms of how little a manager has spent. Nobody says the fellas have done well and with a bit of improvement and coaching, and maybe one or two new players, we'll do alright. It has to be five, six, seven, eight new players a season. Changing average players for average players. Selling season tickets. Nobody asks what happened the decisions which were taken on transfers last season. Despite all that, we are doing well with fellas over there."
The weight of numbers confirm that impression. Leeds United, with their new residence for young players at Thorpe Arch, have brought a new philosophy to the development of talent. Behind Gary Kelly, Ian Harte and Alan Maybury, they have a posse led by Stephen McPhail and including Paul Donnelly and Damian Lynch, with a couple of younger players expected soon. Apart from Harte and Kelly, they are confident of producing at least two more Irish internationals and "probably three".
Blackburn have a similar hostel system and have had a large throughput of Irish players in the past few years. The Jack Walker syndrome has made it a harder first team to break into, however, and many have come home to National League football. They keep on coming, though, and the mutual approval is such that when Brian Kerr was in London last weekend to watch Blackburn's youth team, the information was volunteered that the captain of the youth team, Leam Richardson, an England trialist, was eligible. On top of the five other kids whom Kerr was monitoring, it came as welcome news.
Something similar happened up at Celtic recently, with a couple of young Scots urging their mentor to inform Kerr of their eligibility. The mentor, one Willie McStay, who has an involvement with the Scottish under-17s, could only shrug his shoulders in bemusement.
Arsenal are rebuilding their reputation as an Irish enclave. Liam Brady has brought three players in and another handful are expected this summer. Spurs have had a lull after the generation which brought Neal Fenn, Kevin Maher and Ross Darcy to some prominence.
Many of the stories are at a more advanced stage. Alan Maybury (Leeds), Damian Duff (Blackburn) and Robbie Keane (Wolves) have got a go. They've got good runs. Steve McPhail has been on the bench at Leeds. Barry Conlon got a game for Manchester City. Richard Dunne has just been back in the team at Everton and got seven games last year. Lee Boylan has been on the bench twice for West Ham, having come off a long debilitating bout of glandular fever. Richie Partridge has progressed at Liverpool, played about four matches in the reserves, but still has a way to go. Rory Ginty has made the breakthrough at Crystal Palace.
Mark McKeever and Dave Billington both got first-team football at Peterborough and went for good money to Sheffield Wednesday. Gary Doherty and Liam George have both been in the first team at Luton. Paul Dillon played at Rotherham 13 times last season. Thomas Heary has played a fair bit for Huddersfield. Barry Quinn hasn't featured yet at Coventry, but he will. Richard Sadlier of Millwall has been out injured for a couple of months, but he was playing. They are all under-18 fellas.
From the Malaysian adventure, Robbie Ryan got a fair go at Huddersfield and there has been some transfer interest in him recently. Goalkeeper Derek O'Connor has had first-team exposure at Huddersfeld, too. Colin Hawkins is home and playing superbly for St Pat's. John Burns, who picked up a bad injury in Malaysia, was on the edge of making the breakthrough at Nottingham Forest until then. Neal Fenn seems not to be in favour with Christian Gross at Spurs, but is a good player with first-team experience. Niall Inman played for Peterborough and has gone on loan (a little bafflingly) to Stevenage. Micheal Cummins is doing well at Boro, but could do with a loan spell, as could Davy Worrell at Blackburn. Ryan Casey has played 10 games in the first team at Swansea. Andrew O'Brien played 22 games for the Bradford first team last year, is still 18, and has yet to make up his mind about his international orientation.
That's almost 30 players, all of whom have made it have an excellent chance of doing so. With varying degrees of tenure they occupy the tier behind the generation of young professionals whom Mick McCarthy has developed or blooded: Gary Breen, Ian Harte, David Connolly, Kevin Kilbane, Steve Carr, Keith O' Neill, Shay Given, Mark Kennedy.
The Irish involvement, the attention and communication from Kerr and Evans and co, makes better players of the kids. Most clubs report that their players' morale, confidence and application is vastly improved after a spell in a green jersey or tracksuit. And the kids themselves?
"They always ask me when the next match is," laughs Brian Kerr. "They'd be afraid to ask if they will be included, wouldn't be cheeky enough to ask will you be needing me, or will they be getting home. When is the next youths match."
Tomorrow we'll be watching little balls coming out of jars in Ghent. It will be the biggest story, but not the most important one. That unfolds on windy training pitches up and down England and in the imaginations of a few Irish soccer men. In five years time we'll be wondering who to thank for the abundance bestowed on us.
