After Mason Melia's record-breaking move to Tottenham Hotspur, will the Irish League ever have its own £1million transfer?
Mason Melia hit the headlines this week after becoming the first League of Ireland player to break the £1million transfer fee barrier, joining Premier League giants Tottenham Hotspur in a deal which could reportedly reach nearly £4million, but will something like that ever happen in the Irish League?
St Patrick’s Athletic forward Melia has long been one of the League of Ireland’s standout stars, becoming their youngest-ever scorer aged just 15 and now 17, he’s already racked up 41 senior league appearances, netting eight times in the process.
Melia will make the move to London when he turns 18 in January after signing a five-year contract and his record-breaking transfer is yet another example of the importance of club’s focusing on youth development.
Cliftonville have one of the most impressive youth structures in the Irish League, introducing a full-time academy which has helped bring through the likes of Sean Moore, who joined West Ham United after starring for the Reds, Shea Kearney, Ryan Corrigan and Coran Madden, the club’s latest teen sensation who has trialled with a number of Premier League clubs.
Marc Smyth, Cliftonville’s Head of Academy, has overseen the development of hundreds of players across varying age groups and feels a growing professionalism in the Irish League will only help drive transfer fees up.
"It's like everything, with time things evolve,” he said. “I'm sure the League of Ireland didn't think it could happen to them five years ago and we're probably in the position they were five years ago.
“The majority of the Irish League's best young players move away at 16 so most aren't professionals which means clubs in England or Scotland don't need to pay those big figures.
"However, the model you see with the likes of ourselves with Sean Moore who breaks into the first team, is on a professional contract and is showcasing himself, then clubs can ask for much bigger fees and deserve them.
"It's the league you play in as well and the optics of it. The League of Ireland is much stronger than the Irish League at the minute so if you're a player aged 16 or 17 showcasing yourself, I think you can demand a higher price because you're doing it at a higher level.”
Current Brexit rules mean players in the Republic of Ireland can’t make a move to England until they turn 18.
Being part of the United Kingdom, those same restrictions don’t apply to the Irish League with a host of players leaving for English clubs last summer, including Linfield trio Aodhan Doherty (Blackburn Rovers), Braiden Graham (Everton) and Ceadach O’Neill (Arsenal) and Glentoran’s George Feeney, who has just signed a professional deal at Spurs.
While one perspective could be to look at the fact Republic of Ireland youngsters aren’t making such a move earlier is a missed opportunity, Smyth suggests the data shows it’s actually beneficial.
"A lot of players, and this isn't just here, who leave home at 16 are back at 17,” he added. “I think Brexit has helped the League of Ireland massively, but I also think it has helped the players because the stats don't lie.
"There's a dream for parents and players to play across the water and I totally get it - I want them to embrace it and it's hard to say don't do it - but if you look within the Irish League, who are the best players that came through and made a career in England?
"Stuart Dallas, Trai Hume, Gareth McAuley, Liam Boyce...what did they all do? They didn't leave home at 16 having only played youth football, they learned their craft locally, got used to the first team environment and were harnessed by their parents and home life."
The Irish League offers youngsters plenty of opportunity to showcase their skills – 17 players have made a Premiership appearance aged 17 or under this season, including five at just 15 – and with more emphasis placed on unearthing the next gem, more local talent will likely get the chance to fulfil their professional dream in the years to come.
"It's (youth development) so important...what will £4million do for St Pat's over the next few years?” said Smyth. “The secret then is how you use the money because it has to be spent wisely.
"There are good and bad examples even locally of when investment has came in and some clubs have used it very wisely to build a structure which will last forever for youth development, and others have spent money on wages.
"If you look at ourselves, I think we have 11 U18s in the first team squad and six of them have made their debut this year, the youngest being Coran at 15. That shows as a club we are invested in youth development.
"With Jim's (Magilton) background in youth football, he understands and is brave enough to give them a chance."
The likes of Glenavon’s Chris Atherton, who is set to join Chelsea, and Reds ace Madden are amongst the most exciting talents Irish League clubs have produced in recent times, but neither will likely generate anywhere near Melia’s fee.
Smyth has worked with Madden since the moment he walked through the Solitude gates for a skills school aged six and having already caught the eye of Arsenal and Manchester United, it’s almost certain that he’s destined for big things.
"Coran is similar to the Mason thing in that in life you always have outliers,” he added. “Coran has been the best player at the club since he was six and he has never changed...he has everything.
"His attitude is what makes him even better. He's an unbelievable kid. Sean Moore is another prime example.
"Thirty or 40 local kids who were friends with Sean came to every game and when he scored it was like the World Cup! He was in the crowd with them and that's something that gets you off your seat as a fan.”