Alan Hansen once proclaimed: "You can't win anything with kids". Well St Patrick's Athletic did when claiming Sunday's FA Cup final, with four teenagers on the pitch at full-time in their deserved 3-1 victory over Bohemians at the Aviva Stadium.
Conor Carty, Kian Levy, Sam Curtis, Adam Murphy, Mason Melia, Alex Nolan and Tommy Lonergan are the young guns showing the way for Pat's, with the latter's sublime finish the coup de grâce in a second cup success for the Inchicore side in three seasons.
Present to watch the game was former Pat's boss Brian Kerr, no doubt proud in seeing the club he loves so much claiming silverware on top of their European qualification.
Perhaps, even more satisfying for Kerr was seeing youngsters playing a central part at the Dublin 4 venue. And on this, he told RTÉ Radio 1's The Ray D'Arcy Show: "St Pat's, over the last couple of seasons through Ger O'Brien (Director of football) and Niall Cully (U-19s head coach), and all the staff have done fabulous work with the underage teams, preparing them to play in the first team.
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"We've had managers recently who have been brave enough to put them in the team and try and win matches. Mason Melia comes on at 16 years of age - the youngest player to play in an FAI Cup final; youngest ever winner of a medal.
"There is a 17-year-old right back Sam Curtis, who has been in the team all season; Kian Leavy impressing in the middle of the pitch; Conor Carty up front is 21; Adam Murphy has turned 18.
"By the end of the match the oldest outfield player on the pitch was Anto Breslin at 26. Our captain Joe Redmond is 23.
"The game has changed here; all the clubs are now much more adventurous, the fact that the best young players can't go to England at 15 and 16 now because of Brexit means they are getting into League of Ireland clubs earlier. That's where their development takes place and because they are the best players around, they are getting into the teams.
"People can see these players in the flesh before any move abroad to England or wherever.
"They are also getting educated here before any potential move abroad. Some, however, are staying that bit longer; Mason Melia has signed a new three-year deal at Pat's which will bring him up to his 19th birthday."
Watch the Netherlands v Republic of Ireland on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player this Saturday from 7pm, follow a live blog on www.rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app or listen to commentary on RTÉ 2FM.
Watch the Women's FAI Cup final, Athlone Town v Shelbourne, on Sunday from 2.15pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow a live blog on RTÉ.ie/Sport and the RTÉ News app and listen to live radio commentary on Sunday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1.
