For years, the road from Ireland to England has been well-worn. Teenagers packing their boots and heading across the water has long been a rite of passage in Irish football.
Rules post-Brexit mean that the traditional route across the Irish Sea is closed off to under-18s, placing an onus on the League of Ireland to develop its own academy structure.
So can Ireland start to keep its best talent at home?
In terms of investment, the €3m in funding from the government announced in Budget 2026 is a most welcome development, following on from an audit which highlighted how the academy system in Ireland is lagging in key areas.
It’s not just about producing players anymore. It’s about creating systems, education, and opportunities that can match what England’s academies have offered for decades.
And that means understanding how the English model actually works.
Ranking the academies
In England, youth development isn't left to chance. The Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP), introduced in 2012, set strict standards for how clubs identify and develop talent. Every Premier League and Football League academy is ranked from Category 1 to 4, with Category 1 representing the top level of facilities, coaching, and investment. Players can join an academy from as young as nine. From there, the system is structured: Under-12s, U14s, U16s, and U18s all have dedicated programmes.
At 16, the most promising are offered scholarship deals, combining full-time football training with continued education. At 17, they can sign professional contracts. Clubs must also provide formal education. Many have partnerships with local colleges to ensure players earn qualifications while training.
For every Marcus Rashford who makes it, hundreds of others leave the system each year, so the safety net matters.
Education and welfare
Education has become as important as football. English academies follow a dual model: mornings in the classroom, afternoons on the pitch. The Football Association and the PFA require clubs to deliver GCSE (Junior cycle equivalent), A-Level (Leaving Certificate) or comparable qualifications. In Ireland, those links are only beginning to form.
Some League of Ireland clubs now partner with schools or colleges to provide flexible timetables, but there's no single system yet. The FAI’s Player Pathway Plan aims to change that, ensuring young players here receive the same level of educational support their English peers take for granted.
Transfers and compensation
One of the trickier parts of youth football is understanding how moves actually work. There's a difference between a transfer and training compensation. A transfer happens when a player under contract moves for an agreed fee.
Training compensation, on the other hand, is a FIFA rule that rewards clubs for developing a player, even if he moves before signing professionally. When a young Irish player heads abroad, his former club can receive a payment based on how long he trained there and the level of the team he joins. It’s not a fortune, but for League of Ireland clubs it’s recognition of years of coaching and care.
Recent examples show how this plays out. Seán Keogh’s move from Dundalk to Brighton gave him the chance to develop in a Premier League environment while ensuring Dundalk were compensated for their role.
Post Brexit, Keogh (19) could only move to the UK because he is an adult; Irish players are only allowed to join other EU clubs before the age of 18. Twelve of Colin O'Brien's Under-17 World Cup squad are currently playing for League of Ireland clubs. Six are in continental Europe and just three are in England.
Mason Melia, who turned 18 last month, continues to shine for St Patrick’s Athletic and will join Tottenham Hotspur in 2026. His former team-mate Sam Curtis earned a move to Sheffield United after becoming one of the brightest young defenders in the league.
These stories highlight the tension Irish football faces. When players break through early, English clubs will always notice. The challenge now is making sure staying in Ireland is seen as progress, not a pause.
The Irish response
Across the country, change is underway. Shamrock Rovers, St Patrick's Athletic, Bohemians, and Dundalk have all strengthened their academy setups, hiring full-time coaches and linking youth teams more closely with senior squads. Rovers’ Roadstone complex remains the benchmark, while St Pat’s have built strong education partnerships.
Clubs are starting to see youth not just as a financial opportunity but as part of who they are. Dundalk’s 2025 First Division title was built as much on homegrown energy as experience, with Vinnie Leonard central to that push before Keogh’s move turned heads abroad.
Elsewhere, Melia continues to impress for St Pat’s, James McManus has made waves at Bohemians before going out on loan to Sligo Rovers, and Killian Cailloce at Shamrock Rovers looks every bit a future star.
The FAI has also stepped up, introducing academy licensing standards that set criteria for coaching hours, facilities, and safeguarding. Progress has been steady but meaningful. The goal is to keep more players in Ireland until they’re ready to move abroad on their own terms.
Still, challenges remain. Funding is limited, facilities vary, and educational pathways aren’t consistent. For many families, England still represents the full-time football dream that Ireland is only beginning to replicate.
The road ahead
What's clear is that the League of Ireland no longer wants to be a feeder system without reward.
Clubs, especially those like European history makers Shamrock Rovers and Shelbourne, are offering longer-term contracts to their brightest talents to ensure they aren't lost on free transfers.
And with higher academy standards, possible state investment, and growing public interest, there’s real momentum behind change.
If Irish clubs can create environments that mirror the professionalism of their English counterparts, they can give the next generation reasons to stay longer, learn more, and develop in familiar surroundings.
Players like Melia and Curtis prove what Irish academies can produce. The next step is ensuring the next wave has the facilities and support to thrive without leaving too soon.
For the first time in decades, Ireland has the chance to shape its own academy road, built on local coaching, education, and belief.
The real test will be keeping our best young players on it.
