Almost a year into his reign as Ireland manager, Heimir Hallgrímsson is proving himself to be an interesting character and a fascinating speaker. Over the last week or so, since his latest squad announcement, he has discussed topics such as his plans to invite Roy Keane into camp, and the importance of giving Championship players a rest after their long season.
Arguably his most illuminating comments, though, have been on the issue of blooding young players. Speaking in relation to Stephen Kenny and his blooding of youngsters such as Adam Idah and Evan Ferguson during his tenure, the Icelander said: ‘Sometimes it’s a negative if you are rewarded too early. It can affect you, you (may) stop progressing and (think) you have made it. There are pros and cons to everything in life, but we are really happy that these guys started to play that early’.
There is no doubt that some of the young players brought through into the squad over the last few years were given their opportunity at an earlier stage than they would have been, in ideal circumstances. Idah, alongside the likes of Troy Parrott, Jason Knight and Jayson Molumby, became regulars in the squad way back in 2020, at a stage where they were still trying to make a name for themselves in the English Championship and League One.
This happened because there was a vacuum of talent throughout the squad, particularly in the midfield and striker areas. Ageing veterans such as Glenn Whelan, David McGoldrick and Shane Long had gone or were fading from the picture, and for many years until Kenny took the job in 2020, there wasn’t much effort made to refresh the squad with young talent. Whether that was mainly the fault of Martin O’Neill and Mick McCarthy, or simply a lack of talent coming through, is a matter of debate.
What isn’t up for debate is that the squad looked very light on experience, maturity, nous and physicality throughout the Kenny era. These are all attributes that are linked to the age profile of a squad. Hallgrímsson himself has made reference to the lightweight/ soft nature of the Ireland team, and this has been linked to the younger profile amongst the players selected.
In recent times, young players have only had Séamus Coleman, Matt Doherty and Robbie Brady to look to as real, battle-hardened veterans. Shane Duffy and John Egan have fallen out of the picture through a combination of injury and the emergence of several impressive young centre-backs. This issue has been compounded by the fact that Coleman and Brady have had injury issues over the years, whilst Doherty’s performances have underwhelmed at times.
The topic of age profile and experience is particularly pressing now after Hallgrímsson’s comments around how he expects his side to qualify for the World Cup. With the friendlies in two weeks being the last games before the qualifiers for that tournament, there is now a sense of urgency and short-termism around Ireland for the first time in a long while. The focus is no longer on a five or ten year plan, or even Euro 2028. It is USA/Mexico/Canada 2026 that the manager is aiming for. This puts pressure on him, but also on the players.
The question is, are the players ready for that pressure? Well, looking at the squad, the age profile looks a lot better. If you were to do a rough prediction for what the squad might look like between September and June 2026, most players fit into the ‘prime years’ category. Only Ferguson, Parrott, Festy Ebosele and newcomer John Patrick will be 23 or younger come the start of qualifiers in September, amongst players who look to have a good chance of playing an important role throughout the campaign. Other newcomers such as Killian Phillips, James Abankwah and Rocco Vata could also play important roles, but John Patrick looks the most likely considering his top level La Liga and Ligue Un experience, alongside the lack of depth in midfield.
At the other end of the spectrum, it’s only Doherty and Brady who will be 30 or above. Coleman could yet continue to add his experience, whilst Josh Cullen and Sammie Szmodics would be 30 by the time the World Cup comes around. Those two, alongside Ryan Manning and Chiedozie Ogbene, have a blend of being experienced pros whilst also still being in their late twenties.
There are numerous players now who are in that sweet spot between the ages of 24 and 29. Caoimhín Kelleher, Nathan Collins, Darragh O’Shea, Jake O’Brien, Will Smallbone, Jason Knight, Finn Azaz and Adam Idah are all players brought into the camp over the last number of years as young (or relatively young) players, who are now in their prime or coming into their prime. Many of them have had strong seasons in club football whilst playing at a good level, and they should be ready now for a real stab at major tournament qualification.
The introductions of Phillips and John Patrick, for this camp, alongside Abankwah and Vata during the last one, are promising moves from Hallgrímsson. Although it’s very positive that there is now a maturing and increasingly experienced core to the squad, there should always be a flow of young talent into the squad. John Patrick and Phillips should add height, physicality, drive and energy to a midfield that has needed refreshing for a while.
‘I hope I’m not offending anyone but this is how we should all think: we are going to the World Cup’. Those were Hallgrímsson’s words last week. Ireland supporters certainly won’t be offended. They will instead be encouraged by such confidence, and also by a squad that finally looks ready to make Ireland a force once again.