N.B. FOR THE purposes of concision, we’ve limited this list to one player per club.
Darragh Leahy (Bohemians)
A product of St Kevin’s Boys, the 20-year-old full-back previously spent three years at Coventry. However, having found first-team opportunities hard to come by with the Sky Blues, he made the move back to Bohemians at the start of last season and didn’t take long to endear himself to the Dalymount Park faithful. A series of impressive displays in Bohs’ defence saw him make last year’s PFAI Team of the Year.
Seán McLoughlin (Cork)
The 22-year-old has been hugely impressive since establishing himself at Cork and has the potential to play at an even higher level. He joined the Leesiders in the summer of 2017, with the Irish side beating out competition from clubs in England and Scotland, while Grant McCann, boss of League One outfit Doncaster, traveled to watch him in last year’s FAI Cup final. Another accomplished campaign and John Caulfield’s men will surely struggle to hold onto him for much longer.
Greg Sloggett (Derry)
The 22-year-old central midfielder helped UCD gain promotion last season, before signing with Derry back in December. With the Candystripes having lost a couple of players, most notably Aaron McEneff, it feels as if they are a team in transition after their disappointing eighth-place finish last year. Along with the returning Barry McNamee and Patrick McClean, Sloggett will be one of those expected to revitalise the club.
Jamie McGrath (Dundalk)
It feels somewhat strange to describe Jamie McGrath as a ‘young’ player, given that he made his senior debut with St Pat’s all the way back in 2014. However, the 22-year-old Meath native has become even better since joining Dundalk in 2017, featuring 30 times in their title-winning campaign last season.
Mikey Place (Finn Harps)
Finn Harps’ top scorer of 2018 with nine goals, the 20-year-old excelled last season as Ollie Horgan’s side were promoted via the play-offs. Place already has top-flight experience, making his debut as far back as April 2016 with Sligo. He subsequently had a short spell at Derry City before linking up with the Ballybofey-based team in May of last year.
Trevor Clarke (Shamrock Rovers)
One of the most highly rated youngsters in Ireland, Clarke’s impressive performances led to him being named Young Player of the Year in 2017. His game time was severely limited last year, however, after knee ligament damage suffered in a March encounter with Waterford kept him out for much of the season. Previously on the books at Middlesbrough, Clarke — who can play on the wing or at full-back — will be hoping to impress as part of an exciting-looking Rovers team, bolstered by promising new recruits Aaron McEneff and Jack Byrne.
Mitchell Beeney (Sligo)
The 23-year-old former Chelsea stopper has impressed since moving to Sligo at the beginning of last season, earning the number one spot ahead of an experienced League of Ireland goalkeeper in Micheál Schlingermann. The Bit O’Red have lost a number of important senior players, including Raff Cretaro, Rhys McCabe and Mikey Drennan, so Beeney will likely need to be at his best if the club are to thrive this year.
Darragh Markey (St Patrick’s Athletic)
A 21-year-old midfielder who came through the ranks at Cherry Orchard before joining St Pat’s, Markey has already made more than 50 first-team appearances for the Richmond Park outfit and established himself as a regular in the team last season. He had a trial at Celtic in 2016 and has represented Ireland at underage level, while his performances with the Saints of late suggest he has the potential to go far in the game
Neil Farrugia (UCD)
One of the most impressive performers last week, as Stephen Kenny’s home-based Ireland U21 side beat their amateur counterparts 1-0, Farrugia is one of a number of impressive young players on the books at UCD. Born in Paris before moving to Ireland as a child, he missed a considerable portion of last season after suffering a broken collarbone in January, but returned towards the latter end of the campaign to help the Students’ successful promotion push.
Zachary Elbouzedi (Waterford)
Another individual who was part of Kenny’s first U21 game as a manager last Wednesday, the 20-year-old midfielder joined Waterford in the off-season following stints with West Bromwich Albion and Inverness Caledonian Thistle. An inability to break into the Baggies’ first team, in addition to an injury-ridden time in Scotland, has curtailed his progress somewhat, but there is no doubt Elbouzedi possesses the talent to make an impact in the Premier Division over the coming months.
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Obviously parnells know real quality when they see it ,whats the betting Armagj will beat Monaghan in the Ulster semi final replay?I think theit a good bet