WINGERS, WESTLIFE AND WEED – THE IRISH LEAGUE’S HITS AND MISSES

NICKY BYRNE

Another Home Farm player who ended up at Leeds, Byrne was part of the 1997 FA Youth Cup-winning squad that included Mcphail, Harry Kewell and a host of other future Premier League stars. Byrne was released by the club later that year, but he soon managed to scrape by and earn a living as a member of Westlife.

EDDIE VAN BOXTEL

A keeper who played for Home Farm, then signed for Leeds – and that is where similarities end between Byrne and Van Boxtel. The latter spent six years on the run from police and, when he was finally caught, was jailed for seven-and-a-half years for possession of cannabis resin worth €3.5m (presumably not meant for personal use).

KEVIN DOYLE

Snapped up from Cork City by Reading for just £78,000, Doyle made the Championship Team of the Year in his first season after scoring 19 goals. He hit 13 in his first Premier League season, ending up on 2007’s PFA Young Player of the Year list with Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Aaron Lennon, Cesc Fabregas and Micah Richards.

STEPHEN O’DONNELL

The winger joined Arsenal from Newcastle – the one in County Galway – as a 16-year-old in 2002. He departed the Gunners in 2005 and later said he should have developed his game back in Ireland, where he’d go on to win trophies at Bohemians, Dundalk and Shamrock. He scored the goal that took Rovers to the Europa League group stages.

RICHARD DUNNE

Dunne, another Home Farm alumnus, managed to reinvent himself from being the life and soul of Manchester City’s drinking culture to being named the club’s Player of the Year four seasons running (2005-2008). In all, Dunne won 80 caps for the Boys in Green and made 515 league outings for Everton, Manchester City, Aston Villa and QPR.

MICHAEL KEANE

No, not the Everton (and England) defender. This Michael Keane swapped St Patrick’s for Preston in 2001 and impressed David Moyes so much, the gaffer let him babysit his children. The Dubliner later became the first player in Irish football to be sacked for allegedly being overweight, only to net a six-figure wrongful dismissal settlement.