It's a question of when, not if, St Patrick's Athletic starlet Adam Murphy moves to England, according to former Sheffield Wednesday, UCD and Shamrock Rovers midfielder Paul Corry.
Murphy, still only 18, has been terrific for the Saints this term with a number of clubs across the water keen to snap him up.
Championship side Bristol City appear to be leading the race, with the possibility of a deal being agreed before the transfer window shuts in ten days' time.
However Corry says the teenager has a tricky decision to make with Pat's still in the FAI Cup and in the mix to win the league.
"I worked with Adam when he was with Belvedere for the guts of five years and then he moved on to St Pat's and he's done realy well," Corry told the RTÉ Soccer Podcast.
What does the long and short-term future hold for Adam Murphy? Paul Corry discusses the huge potential of the talented St Pat's teenager. Listen to the full podcast here 👉 https://t.co/ygZqJ7HYMn #RTEsoccer. pic.twitter.com/Ece6HZqeDF
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"He's very powerful when he gets into the final third. I think he can add more goals to his game, and really he's a player who can progress. I would expect that if he doesn't make the move in the next seven to ten days... when the transfer window finishes, it'll probably be one that he makes in January.
"I'm still very close to him, I'm still very close to the family.
"I know there's interest there, that's been documented in the media. It's probably at a situation now whereby Adam needs to make a decision about whether he wants to see out the league with St Pat's and mount a bit of a title challenge and in particular go for the FAI Cup as well, or whether he thinks now is the right time to go.
"It's a big decision for any 18-year-old to pack their bags and go."
It's not just about deciding to leave; choosing your destination is also criticially important for any young footballer trying to build a career in such an incredibly competitive environment.
"Bristol City is one club that's been documented," Corry added. "There are other clubs as well. There's been Premier league interest in him, there's also been one or two other clubs on the Championship.
"The move to Bristol City is probaly one that appeals more to a player who is playing in the League of Ireland because if you look at the likes of an Andy Lyons [who moved from Shamrock Rovers to Blackpool last winter], the squads are much smaller, you're able to break into the first team sooner, you get an opportunity.
"If he lands in to, say a middle to low Premier League team he's probably finding himself in the Under-23s, not playing competive football. Having such a good taste of it with St Pat's I think you want to keep as clsoe to first-team football as you can to continue that development."
"It's a decision that's going to come down to him, his family and his representatives but I'd say you'll probably get a bit more clarity on that in the next three, four, five days."
Corry has not been surprised by Murphy's rise. A bad hamstring injury upset his 2022 campaign at a time when he looked certain to feature in the Saints first team on a regulalr basis but he's since recovered to justify the faith those around the Inchicore club have had in him for quite a while.
"I would have said we'd have been having this conversation 12, 18 months earlier if it wasn't for the injuries he's picked up along the way.
"This is a kid who is probably at the top of his age bracket along with the likes of James McManus [Bohemians], Kevin Zefi [Inter Milan] and Sam Curtis [St Pat's.
"He has huge potential. Physically, he's developed very well. He's more than capable of getting around the park, particularly from the centre-midfield position.
"[Moving to England] is a big decision for any 18-year-old to make, but it's one, if Adam does make it, it's a career you'd want to track quite closely because he is certanly somebody who has massive potential. I'd put Sam Curtis in that bracket as well.
"For Pat's, for [academy director] Ger O'Brien, their underage system, they are doing incredible work to get players into their academy and into their first team. Adam has huge potential to have a really good career in the game."
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