The Irish national team has, for years, lacked a true creative outlet, someone capable of producing a moment of magic when it matters most. The kind of player who can turn a game with a single action. That missing piece might just be Andrew Moran. Despite already making three senior appearances for Ireland, he hasn’t yet been given a real opportunity to show what he’s capable of.
Moran fits the profile of a classic Italian number ten, often referred to as a Trequartista. A player who isn’t quite a midfielder, but not exactly a forward either. Instead, he operates in the space between, linking the lines, exactly what Ireland has been missing. Under Heimir Hallgrímsson, Ireland have typically lined up in a variation of a 4-4-2 or a 4-4-1-1, a system that suits Moran well, allowing him to slot in as a second striker or advanced playmaker.
Describing Andrew Moran is straightforward. He’s a technically gifted footballer who excels at holding onto the ball and has the added ability to pick out key passes, exactly the kind of creative spark Ireland has been missing. His biggest weakness might be his discipline; he committed almost a foul per game last season, picking up nine yellow cards. However, this could also be seen as a testament to his strong defensive work rate.
The statistics certainly back up why Moran is perfect for this role. In the 2024–25 Championship season, playing for a Stoke City side that finished just two points above the relegation zone, Moran averaged 2.90 shot-creating actions, 4.20 progressive passes, and 1.87 progressive carries per 90 minutes. He well and truly is that perfect link between defence and attack and a player we haven’t had since potentially Wes Hoolahan, who Moran highly admires “Growing up watching the Ireland teams he [Hoolahan] was unbelievable to watch. He was so good, especially around that Euros in 2016, a brilliant player, so if I can even be half as good as him, I’ll be doing well,”.
I compared Moran to the classic Italian number ten, a Trequartista, and offensively, he fits that role perfectly. However, the classic number ten role is dead. Modern football demands that every player works extremely hard off the ball, leaving no room for luxury players. Thankfully, Moran is a modern footballer, averaging 1.57 tackles won, 3.63 ball recoveries, and covering 3,264 meters per 90 minutes.
The biggest obstacle stopping Moran from establishing himself as a regular in the Irish team is his club career. He turns 22 later this year, which is the age when a player usually decides whether to stay at the club they’ve come through or move on. The loans to the Championship should be over for Moran. Could he succeed at Brighton? Absolutely. But, as many feel about young Irish players, a move away from England might be the best option.
I’ve described him as a model Italian player, someone not blessed with pace but technically brilliant, so a move to Serie A or even Serie B could be perfect. If he’s playing regular football at a high level, Heimir Hallgrímsson will have no choice but to play him, and the national team will reap the rewards of his talents. Moran is like a passport to the Irish team, because without him, we won’t be going to the U.S.A next summer.