Education is key to LoI growth, says Tuffy

A new season is upon us, as the League of Ireland returns this Friday night with fixtures in the men’s Premier and First Divisions.

Given the upsurge in attendances since Covid, there is an air of positivity surrounding the domestic game in advance of the new campaign. Evidence of the progress here was in full view last Friday night, when Shamrock Rovers and St Patrick’s Athletic played out the President’s Cup final at Tallaght Stadium, where the new stand was in use for the first time. It is now a ground with a capacity of 10,000 and is the model for all stadia moving forward. Significant work is required elsewhere in the country but you’d hope the momentum generated by the league will help government sit up and take notice, and maybe drive more funds in that general direction.

Another element of the game here that needs attention is that of the underage coaching structure.

Given the impact of Brexit, players are no longer able to move to a club in the UK until they are 18. A well-worn path over the years, it now means there is more of an onus on clubs here to improve their academies and coaching structure so they can help their players develop to an extent that they fulfil their potential. There is a massive opportunity in this regard for clubs to become far more sustainable, by producing talent for their own first team.

Similarly, those same players may then use the shop window of first-team football here to attract suitors from overseas. Take St Patrick’s Athletic, for example: of last year’s squad, 18-year-old Sam Curtis has joined Sheffield United and 18-year old Adam Murphy is now on the books at Bristol City. Mason Melia, who is still just 16, is understood to be the subject of interest from Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United.

While we want the best players remaining here in an ideal scenario, it’s just not a reasonable prospect right now. But earning bigger fees for players who do make the move across the channel or beyond is imperative, so it can be invested back into squads and facilities here to improve the overall product.

Again, funding is the big issue but it should be an area all stakeholders look to progress continuously over the next number of year.

But how do clubs go about addressing the need for improvement in their coaching structure and plans? Someone with an insight into how it all works in the UK is Enniscrone native Darragh Tuffy.

A hugely promising footballer in his teenage years, Darragh captained Ireland at underage level and was the subject of interest from several clubs in the UK before making the move to Blackburn Rovers at the age of 16 in 2006. Injury curtailed Darragh’s playing exploits but he soon moved into the coaching realm and has been involved at virtually all age groups with Blackburn since dipping his toe in for the first time in the 2008/09 season. Now, he’s assistant coach with the under-18 side and when I spoke to him last Friday, they were preparing for a Saturday fixture in the top flight against Liverpool.

That same day is one of significant change at Ewood Park, with Jon Dahl Tomasson leaving his role as manager and John Eustace, the former Republic of Ireland assistant, appointed as his replacement. Darragh says the outgoing gaffer had an interest in all areas of the club’s playing tree, with some of the 18s squad pulled into senior sessions from time to time as required by Tomasson, who won the Champions League during his playing days with AC Milan.

“I’ve seen it evolve quite a bit since I started,” Darragh says of his coaching experience.

“There’s a lot of alignment now from the first team down. Academies across the board at different clubs have a structured way of working, there are more full-time positions and it has become a lot more professional.” 

Full-time positions are something the League of Ireland is crying out for – the ability to create a sustainable football industry at local level is something many have yearned for over the years. Oftentimes, those who want to make a career for themselves in coaching are not able to because it’s not financially sustainable and the roles that do make sense financially are few and far between. And with clubs now maybe taking a closer look at how they go about improving player development, Darragh feels there’s a few key points to keep in mind.

“A lot of player development is about getting the right level of challenge for the players themselves, that’s how you improve.

“At Blackburn, we have a lot of different steps to challenge them and the level is pretty high. Some of the 16s might play under-21s to push themselves to the next level. You’ve got to ask are the players getting to challenge themselves?

“It’s also a constant effort to try and professionalise things and education is also really important.” 

Blackburn’s efforts are reaping rewards. A player Darragh has seen come through the academy, Adam Wharton, joined Crystal Palace earlier this year for a fee reportedly worth as much as £22 million sterling.

“He’d been here since he was six years old,” Darragh says.

“Any match day squad now for the first team will have six or seven players from the academy, so it’s pretty productive.” 

Casting his eye on the situation created by Brexit, Darragh says the fact players might remain in Ireland for longer can become a real positive for the domestic game.

“For the League of Ireland as a product, it’s probably better. The best players are getting a better deal. If you look at Sam Curtis, he's probably going to be around the first team at Sheffield United but if he came over at 16, then he probably wouldn't have played at the top level straight away.” 

So, plenty to ponder as the new League of Ireland season kicks into gear. Let's hope the momentum continues for the self-termed 'Greatest League in the World'.