Joey’s old boys making a mark across water as Brexit hits home
AFTER an impressive debut as a sub for West Ham United in Monday’s FA Cup win, the presence of Dubliner Ademipo Odubeko in David Moyes’ squad could become a regular sight.
But as Dublin nursery club St Joseph’s Boys this week celebrate the progress of former players Odubeko and Festy Ebosele (Derby County) to the world of first team football in England, their emergence, contrasted with the Brexit-related ban on UK clubs signing Irish players before they turn 18.
The situation has heightened the challenge for clubs here to cope with the new reality of crosschannel relations since the UK left the EU. And a new partnership between Everton and Sligo Rovers, announced yesterday, will not be the first such deal in a post-Brexit world.
Ebosele, who was born in Nigeria but spent most of his childhood in Enniscorthy, came off the bench for Derby in their 2-0 Cup defeat away to non-league Chorley and Tallaght lad Odubeko, also 18, was a secondhalf substitute for West Ham as they overcame Stockport County.
Determined
Both came through the ranks at Sallynoggin outfit St Joseph’s Boys. “Festy would get the bus up from Enniscorthy, we’d meet him at Loughlinstown hospital to get him to training and bring him back to get the bus home. It wasn’t easy for him making that trek but he was determined to get to England and we’re delighted for him now,” says Brendan Byrne, the coach at Joey’s who helped develop the pair along with other talents like James Furlong (Brighton) and Roland Idowu (Southampton).
Ebosle’s Cup run is over due to Derby’s exit but Odubeko and West Ham could go far. “No disrespect to other debuts but Mipo’s debut was with the proper first team, and it’s been coming,” says his former mentor Byrne.
“Mipo was out injured for four months, he was due to play in the League Cup. He moved to West Ham from Manchester United because he felt he wasn’t getting a fair crack of the whip at United. And the move to West Ham has been great for him, they sold one of their strikers to Ajax last week, I know they rate him very highly and if they don’t sign another forward this month you’ll see a lot more of Mipo before the end of the season, I can see them pushing him on with the first team.”
But those new rules, arising from Brexit, and in place since January 1, would have prevented Ebosele and Odubeko from moving to England until they were 18.
“I see a lot of boys who go over and they’re not ready,” says Joey’s coach Byrne. “This is an opportunity now for Irish clubs to put things in place but it will take a shift in thinking and people’s ambitions. Right now we don’t have anything like the kids can get in England when it comes to training, development and facilities.”