Eamon Dunphy believes new Brighton signing Richie Towell has a "real chance" of forging a successful career in England and of eventually grabbing a spot in the Republic of Ireland squad, but the RTÉ pundit doesn’t believe that League of Ireland form should merit players a place in the international set-up.
The former Dundalk star and current Professional Footballers' Association of Ireland Player of the Year rounded off a fine career with the Lilywhites by winning back-to-back league titles, while also scoring the decider in the FAI Irish Daily Mail Cup Cup final to secure the double for the Oriel Park side.
The prolific midfielder has signed a two-and-a-half-year deal with Chris Hughton’s Championship table-toppers and the 24-year-old will be eligible to play for the Seagulls on 1 January, subject to international clearance.
Speaking to 2FM's Game On, Dunphy said: “I’ve seen him. He looks a fit lad, he’s a worker, he’s determined, he has the gift of goalscoring, which is a very rare gift.
“Look at Jamie Vardy at Leicester, who was playing at a lot lower level than the League of Ireland.
“He’s 28 now, so Richie’s got a way to go, he’s got a journey to make, but I think if you (a) have the ability to score goals, you don’t lose it, and (b) if you’re determined and your attitude is strong and good, you don’t lose that either. So he’s got a chance.”
While hopeful over Towell’s future career prospects, Dunphy believes that domestic league form shouldn’t help a player force his way into the international fold, adding: “You don’t prove anything in the League of Ireland.
“You can only prove that you’ve got a certain amount of ability and that you’ve got a capacity, but you’ve got to do it in the full-time game in England or wherever.
“Seamus Coleman is a good example. Seamus was playing here for Sligo, went to Everton and developed.
“You do develop when you’re working everyday with better players, better pitches, and bigger challenges. When you meet those challenges, then you’ve earned the right to go in the [Ireland] squad.
“I think putting League of Ireland players in the squad as a sort of act of tokenism isn’t really what we need.
“But I wish him good luck and I think he has got a real chance.”
Below: Towell unveiled as a Brighton player (Image by: Paul Hazlewood, courtesy of www.seagulls.co.uk)
Towell, meanwhile, has spoken of his excitement at the prospect of working former Republic of Ireland international Hughton, telling the Albion website: “He seems like a great manager, so I'm going to be very privileged to work with him.
"I was very lucky to work with Colin Calderwood at Hibs - he brought me there when I was really young - so to get back working with him again is going to be great.
"First and foremost, I need to break into the Brighton squad. They have some really, really good players here. I know it's not going to be easy for me.
"But I'm very determined that I’m going to give the manager a few headaches. I'm really excited to get started. I can't play until 1 January, so I need to keep myself in the best shape possible and hopefully I can hit the ground running."
Hughton said of his latest acquisition: "Richie's had a wonderful season in Ireland and scored a lot of goals for the champions Dundalk from midfield, and that really caught our eye.
"He is something different to the number of very good midfield options we already have here at the club, and I am really looking forward to having him as part of our squad in the New Year.
"He had a lot of good options available for his next move; here in England, in Scotland, in Ireland with Dundalk and in Europe, so we are delighted he has decided to join us.
"He's played a full season since March, but has already made it clear he is keen to be ready to play in January, and keen to begin training with us as soon as possible.
"We will give him some time off for a well-deserved break, as he's played a lot of football in the past nine months, but I am certain he will be ready for us in January and will be an excellent addition to the squad."
