Obafemi battling hard to prove he’s a Saint

IT IS A typical clash of two generations but this one is being fought out in public, on the football field, where Irish football is a very important bystander.

The youngster in this case, a player called Michael Obafemi, believes he should be in the team for his Premier League club, Southampton, every week and that he proved that with his display against Arsenal in the Premier League last week.

“I think I showed out on the pitch why I should be starting,” said the 19-year-old. A few days later, his boss, Ralph Hasenhuttl, swatted away that notion, with a clear message to the striker that talking a good game and playing it were vastly different things.

“He still has a lack of professionalism in his whole life,” was the rather biting comment on

Obafemi from the under-pressure Hasenhuttl, who spoke like a grown-up annoyed by the arrogance of a teenager, though he went on to say that he did see a future for Obafemi (below).

“This is a young guy who must learn quickly. If he does this and gets more physical, fit and can make this workload for a longer time, then he has a big future. There is still a long way to go for him.”

Fitness clearly is an issue – since he made his Southampton debut in January 2018, Obafemi has played 15 times but has yet to complete 90 minutes.

Those around him can only hope that his young frame can recover and sustain a career.

He probably doesn’t know it but Obafemi is trying to win a battle which many compatriots in his position have lost – the track record of Irish players who play Premier League football in their teens is not good. Three-and-a-half years ago, Kevin Toner was 19 when he got a run of games in the Premier League for Aston Villa. Last week he signed for a non-league side back in his native Meath after he was released following an underwhelming spell with St Patrick’s Athletic.

Irish underage caps Michael Harriman and Reece Grego-Cox both played in the Premier League in their teens – they’re now in England’s fourth tier, at Northampton Town and Crawley Town, far from the glamour of that top flight, so staying in the Premier League is a lot tougher than just getting there. Southampton are not relying on Obafemi to get them out of the relegation zone but a good run from the striker would help.

For Ireland, he is now more of a long-term project who could come good rather than the answer to a nation’s prayers. Because that’s how he was seen not so long ago.

When Obafemi made his senior debut for Martin O’Neill’s side 12 months ago, there was a sigh of relief from many supporters here as the Dublin-born player, who was also eligible for Nigeria and England, was then committed to the Irish cause.

He was a rarity – a young footballer, playing up front, in the Premier League, who was Irish.

And Obafemi’s senior international debut came in the last game of the calendar year which was Ireland’s worst, in terms of goals scored, in 34 years.

O’Neill has gone but scoring goals remains a problem – seven goals in eight Euro 2020 qualifiers (one an own goal) was a dismal return.

But largely due to injury Obafemi has been seen very little in the green shirt, just two U-21 caps in 2019.

He has time on his side, but time can run out.