Graham Gartland believes Naj Razi is one of the most exciting prospects emerging from within Irish football as the Shamrock Rovers youngster earns apparent interest from some of Europe's leading clubs.
The midfielder, who Gartland coached within the Hoops' youth ranks, was one of the Republic of Ireland's star turns during the summer's UEFA European Under-17 Championships, forming part of a quintet who have emerged from Rovers' academy.
Razi turned 17 on Saturday and two days later, he impressed as he made his first senior start for the newly crowned four-in-a-row SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division champions, who rested their more experienced players for a 0-0 draw at Cork City.
That third league cameo of the season came at a time when his name has featured in gossip columns beyond these shores, with reports that the likes of Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal are all showing interest in him, although the latter trio would have to wait until he turns 18 due to post-Brexit rules.
Speaking on the RTÉ Soccer Podcast, ex-Drogheda United, Longford Town and Shamrock Rovers defender Gartland touched on the speculation regarding major clubs and also spoke highly of Razi's talents, his "excellent" display at Turners Cross and how his boyhood club has shaped his development.
"The club have done everything right by him. He's been on a pro contract. He was on the Transition Year programme a couple of years ago, he's gone through the Ashfield (College) programme as well where he's doing his Leaving Cert, run by Stephen Gray, so the club have done everything to make sure that he can carry on and have a full career ahead of him and he's an exciting prospect," he said.
"He's a really talented boy. But what he does and what he decides to do, I don't know. If he decides to stay at Rovers and tries to break into the first team and get more minutes, that's his decision. I'm not sure if he goes to Europe, that's his decision as well."
While Razi makes his early steps in the Shamrock Rovers first team, his senior colleagues have been celebrating a four-in-a-row of league titles, matching the run of the iconic 1980s side.
Ireland U17s and Shamrock Rovers midfielder Naj Razi is earning interest from European giants and Graham Gartland gives an insight into his potential #COYBIG #RTESoccerPodcast
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Gartland praised the achievement of Stephen Bradley's current crop and highlighted the pillars that have underpinned this contemporary era of success.
"It's been built on solid foundations," he said.
"Most of the clubs that generally do well in this league will have good foundations in terms of a budget or a good training facility or a good place to play and Rovers have all three of them and that's why they have been continually successful and have been successful on a consistent basis.
"I think a lot of fans look back on the '87 time, when they won it, with fondness but also with a lot of pining for past glories of a stadium that belonged to them and a team that belonged to them and I think they have it with this group of players where they have a stadium that they can go to week in, week out.
"They know that's not changing and they have a group of players who know what it's like to play for the club and it's fantastic."
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