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Michael Noonan 'most exciting prospect' of LOI young guns - Keith Treacy and Richie Towell

Updated / Monday, 6 Oct 2025 18:22
Michael Noonan has already found the net nine times in his first full season on the Shamrock Rovers first team
Michael Noonan has already found the net nine times in his first full season on the Shamrock Rovers first team

Shamrock Rovers' teenage sensation Michael Noonan is the "most exciting prospect" within the League of Ireland right now, in the view of Keith Treacy and Richie Towell.

The 17-year-old continued his rapid rise with a well-taken brace in Sunday's Sports Direct Men's FAI Cup semi-final victory over Kerry.

Noonan first garnered acclaim when he was still just 16, netting the Hoops' winner in the first leg of their UEFA Conference League knockout stage match against Molde in Norway in February and since then, his manager Stephen Bradley has been more than willing to trust him with regular first team involvement.

The former St Patrick's Athletic youngster has scored six goals in the SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division season and has already been fast-tracked into the Republic of Ireland Under-21s set-up, scoring the winner in last month's European qualifier win over Andorra.

He is among a crop of teenage talents that have made an impact in recent months. Shamrock Rovers team-mate Victor Ozhianvuna (16) and Ireland U21 colleague and St Pat's forward Mason Melia (18) have already signed for Premier League sides Arsenal and Tottenham Hostpur in big-money moves, while Cork City's Cathal O'Sullivan (18), who is unfortunately out with an ACL injury, is also highly rated.

But it's Noonan's potential which is exciting both Treacy and former Shamrock Rovers midfielder Richie Towell the most, as they outlined on the RTÉ Soccer Podcast.

"I'm a big, big fan of young Michael Noonan. I was lucky enough to be in (coaching) the Pat's under-17 set-up when he was there for a little while and he was there at the same time as Mason Melia," said former Ireland winger Treacy.

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"I remember Mason came up and trained with us a few times and obviously I marked my card about him and then a couple of weeks later, Michael Noonan came up and trained with us and obviously my card was marked on him as well and he's been absolutely brilliant.

"To be honest, there's so much heap of praise I have for Michael, I'd love to throw it on him but there's so much weight of pressure being thrown - like young Victor Ozhianvuna going to Arsenal, the pressure is just starting to ramp up on him.

"(Ozhianvuna) still hasn't proven himself as a League of Ireland player. We've looked at him and think, 'Yeah, there's a big ceiling there', that's why Arsenal are taking a gamble but he hasn't quite proven himself yet.

"So to be throwing praise on somebody like that, I'd feel it's not always the best thing. But young Michael Noonan, I think he's unbelievable.

"I think he's the most exciting prospect we have in the League of Ireland right now, and I say that with Mason in mind, and I say that with Ozhianvuna in mind.

"I think Mick is unbelievable. We went to a French underage tournament in Le Havre and he came over there - I think he might have been 15 or just turned 16 - and some of the lads were 18 or 19 playing in this under-17s tournament, and he absolutely held his own and the more I watched him, I thought this fella has a bit about him.

"He has everything he needs to go to the top, and again I say that knowing there's a whole host of pitfalls between here and there.

"But he has the raw tools and from what I've seen he has the mentality, he has the work-rate, the endeavour. He has everything needed to be whatever he wants in this world, Michael Noonan.

"I have my fingers crossed for him because from what I've seen, he's a really nice kid and very humble guy as well. So I hope it stays that way and he reaches and gets everything he wants out of the game."

Treacy added that what is even more remarkable as a 17-year-old is that there is a club v country debate about his availability in late October and through November.

Shamrock Rovers have a cup final on 9 November against Cork City, while there are big games to come in the league phase of the Conference League.

At the same time though, he is eligible for the Ireland squad that is due to travel to the upcoming FIFA Under-17 World Cup.

Bradley has already indicated that he will not stand in the way of the youngster in regard to the World Cup opportunity however.

And Towell said letting Noonan play on the world stage will benefit both the player and Shamrock Rovers in light of the fees that Melia and Ozhianvuna have already garnered.

"They should be sending him there thinking, 'You know what? Go and be the top goalscorer there', and you talk about Mason Melia and Victor (going for) €2 million, 'you go and be the €3 million, €4 million player that's going to go,'" he said.

"I 100% agree with what Keith said. I think Michael Noonan is the best out of the whole lot of them. I know Keith said it's a long process to get to where he wants to be because of how high his ceiling is.

"But I think purely down to his mentality, how humble he is, I think Michael is going to be the next big thing to come out of the League of Ireland, and I don't just mean that in price tag.

"He could be your Troy Parrott, your Evan Ferguson, who goes and leads the national team and is that absolute gem that we don't have at the moment."

Watch Republic of Ireland Under-21s v Slovakia Under-21s in UEFA European Championship qualifying on Friday from 7pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player

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