Will the movers become shakers?

It's probably just as well the mobile phone was invented because Brian Kerr might have had difficulties otherwise tracing the whereabouts of at least 10 of his senior players (there could yet be more), all of whom indulged in a spot of house-moving this summer.

For some, like Jason McAteer and Mark Kinsella, who were released by Sunderland and West Brom respectively at the end of last season and have joined Tranmere and Walsall, the moves weren't exactly positive career developments and are unlikely to enhance their hopes of being part of Kerr's plans for the forthcoming World Cup qualifiers.Neither player was named in the squad for next week's friendly against Bulgaria, although Kerr insisted that Kinsella, at least, remains in his thoughts.

Both Stephen McPhail and Nick Colgan joined Barnsley where they should get regular first-team football, even if it is in the second division (or League One, as it is now called). Barnsley are, remarkably, the 10th club of Colgan's 12-year English and Scottish career (six of these were for loan spells) and after being largely in limbo, apart from a loan spell at Stockport, since leaving Hibernian, he will need to play regularly if he is to hold off the challenge of Paddy Kenny for the role of Shay Given's understudy.

McPhail, meanwhile, will hope his reunion with Barnsley manager Paul Hart - Hart was the youth team coach at Leeds when McPhail joined and took the midfielder on loan to Nottingham Forest last season - will help revive an injury-blighted career that has not lived up to its early promise.

David Connolly was on his travels again this summer, turning down a move to Sunderland to join Leicester City - the third time in the last four years he will start the season with a new club. After seven years with Sheffield Wednesday Alan Quinn moved across the city to join United, going up a division in the process, a move that could help him build on what has been an encouraging international spell.

Ian Harte's transfer from Leeds to Spanish club Levante, newly promoted to the Primera Liga and now managed by former German international Bernd Schuster, was, perhaps, the most intriguing of the lot. Having spent nine years at Elland Road, Harte, no more than most of his former Leeds' team-mates, had lost his way, his mixed form costing him the left-back position in the Ireland team. Playing in what is arguably Europe's strongest league will be a sizeable challenge for Harte but if he can adapt, Kerr indicated he will find himself back in contention, having been omitted from the squad this week.

Another of Kerr's full-backs, Stephen Carr, finally joined Newcastle this week, over a year since the move was first touted. He's not, by all accounts, joining the happiest of clubs but after 12 years at Spurs, Carr should be accustomed to internal wrangles and disgruntled team-mates. Having, potentially, two of the Irish back four plus the goalkeeper - Carr, Andy O'Brien and Shay Given - playing their club football together shouldn't do Ireland any harm.

Liam Miller's Bosman transfer from Celtic to Manchester United also brought their senior Irish contingent to three but whether the move proves to be a positive development for Kerr in the short term will, of course, be determined by how much first-team football the midfielder is given by Alex Ferguson.

If Keane, Paul Scholes, Ronaldo and Ryan Giggs are fit, with Phil Neville, Darren Fletcher, Kleberson, Eric Djemba-Djemba and Quinton Fortune Ferguson's other midfield options, it's difficult to see Miller establishing himself just yet. But, such is the length of United's injury list, he could get plenty of early chances to show his worth.

The signing of Argentinian defender Gabriel Heinze, who can play in the centre or at left-back, looks ominous for John O'Shea who needs to regain his form of two seasons ago, before Heinze returns from the Olympic Games and Rio Ferdinand returns from his ban next month, if he is to hold on to a place in the back four.

Similarly Josemi's arrival at Liverpool might leave Steve Finnan wondering quite where he fits in to Rafael Benitez's plans. Josemi started at right-back against Graz AK in Tuesday's Champions League qualifier, with Finnan playing in midfield, but the expected arrival of a replacement for Danny Murphy (likely to be Real Sociedad midfielder Xabi Alonso) could jeopardise Finnan's hopes of a starting 11 place.

Maintaining the theme, Clinton Morrison attempted to put a brave face at the time on Birmingham City's signing of Emile Heskey from Liverpool but, allied to Steve Bruce's success in getting Chelsea to agree to another season-long loan deal for Mikael Forssell, Morrison has to be feeling vulnerable, especially after scoring just seven goals in 37 appearances last season.

When Chelsea announced the signing of left-winger Arjen Robben from PSV Eindhoven before the end of last season Damien Duff, now recovered from a shoulder operation, described the news as "a kick in the teeth". Inevitably, talk of a move to Liverpool or Manchester United resurfaced but Duff remains at Stamford Bridge where he will hope Jose Mourinho prefers him to the Dutch player, or at least accommodates the pair.