A NUMBER OF Irish youngsters face a series of important tests both on and off the field in the coming weeks.
Colin O’Brien’s Ireland U17 side are getting set to host the European Championships, with their first game against Greece on Friday at Tallaght Stadium.
The team then play Czech Republic in Waterford’s RSC three days later, before returning to Shamrock Rovers’ home ground to face Belgium in their final group game on 9 May.
These big matches are not the only concern for the players. Some of the squad also have the Leaving Cert and A-levels to contend with in the coming weeks.
One of those with exams on the horizon is the player who, with Tottenham’s Troy Parrott unavailable as it stands, is undoubtedly the most high-profile individual in the squad — Man City’s Gavin Bazunu.
The 17-year-old goalkeeper played a handful of senior games with Shamrock Rovers in the League of Ireland, before linking up with the reigning Premier League champions last January.
Bazunu will complete his Leaving Cert in the coming weeks, having spent the past few months getting used to his new surroundings.
“He’s just going through that settling-in period,” O’Brien says. “He has his Leaving Cert to do in June, believe it or not, so that’s something he needs to get done.
“He’ll be starting really fresh with them in July, a proper pre-season and full season.
But his progress has been steady. He’s been training with the 18s, he’s been involved with some of the older players. He’s been competing in the 18s with the English goalkeeper, so he’s had that competition for a place straight away, which is healthy. Once he arrives fit to us this evening and trains well, he’ll be ready to go Friday night.”
Bazunu, meanwhile, is not the only player who will have to hit the books while simultaneously focusing on his football.
“We’ve got two boys doing the equivalent of their Leaving Cert [A-levels] in England. One of them will be doing an exam a week before the third game and if we progress, another player will be kicking into exams — Joe Hodge and Matt Everitt are the players.
“But they’re prepared for that. That organisation and education side is all in place between our own operations, along with the club and Uefa.”
What the players do on the pitch over the next few weeks could also go some way towards shaping their future. It will be the first time the majority of them have played in front of a big crowd with the home support cheering them on, which can bring pressure as well as working to the hosts’ advantage.
“It’s something we’ve spoken about a lot during the season. You can talk about it, but for them to get a full understanding of it, they have to experience it. It’s part of their development. They’re excited about it. It’s also going to give us more knowledge on the players, you’re going to observe how they’re going to manage and cope in this environment, and young players can surprise you, they really can.
They know what’s coming. They didn’t have the qualifiers, but they played a lot of strong nations [in friendlies]. There’s nothing going to be different. They’ll train where we’ve trained, they’ll stay in the hotel. They’ve done the distances to Waterford and Tallaght, so from a logistical point of view, there’ll be nothing different.”
Ireland have performed admirably at the U17 Euros of late, reaching the quarter-finals for the previous two years on the trot. They were particularly unlucky last time out amid a controversial penalty shootout loss to the Netherlands.
But assuming Parrott does not feature, there will be just one player from last year’s impressive effort, Preston goalkeeper Jimmy Corcoran, to retain a place in the squad.
“With youth teams, some countries, like ourselves, you could have differences with groups, you could be very strong in certain positions, then you’re challenged a little more to get certain spots filled, because it’s a high-level game.
“But [this Irish team have] a real good dynamic, there is quality in the group, there’s a real steeliness about these lads and everything that’s been put up to them this year, they’ve competed. When you go into competition, it can do different things to different players, it’s just up to us to help the players with that, but I know they’re really looking forward to it.”
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2 La Ligas in a decade that sound like the best team of the decade?
To be fair 4 champions leagues in the last 5 years. As horrible a club like Real Madrid are in how their fans repeatedly boo their own players, treat their managers and truly believe they are above normal footballing rules as is standard across the board just because they are Real Madrid they are the best team of the last decade but Pepe is entitled to his opinion…maybe his view is biased with his Barca links as Mick McCarthy maybe be biased in how he views Gary Breen as one of the best Irish players that has ever walked the planet :-)
@Patrick McHugh: we all dream of a team of Gary breens a team of Gary Breens a team of Gary Breens
@Patrick McHugh: Guardiola is trolling of course. Barca have a superior league record recently but Real is also the first team to reach 4500 points in La Liga … the fans do boo players and it’s a shock for some to witness it but it only happens when they reckon the player isn’t giving a 100% effort , or is putting himself above the club . There are no sacred cows . And the results speak for themselves as does the fact that most players dream of playing for them … don’t write them off just yet in CL either . Ajax is the next rival up , a lot of injuries are clearing up and the fitness levels are back to where they should be after Lopeteguis departure .. it’s unlikely they’ll do a comeback in La Liga but the CL is still a strong option and let’s see what happens in Copa del Rey tonight
@Limón Madrugada: Visca Girona!!
@Karlos McGrath: let’s see what happens , won’t be an easy game but Real seem to have found their scoring boots at last . Hala Madrid !
@Limón Madrugada: To be fair to pep, he clearly thinks that winning the league consistently over the last ten years is a bigger feat than the CL.
And in that regard, Barca have dominated.
@Margarita Huanca: he clearly doesn’t because he signed for Bayern to win the CL for them , ultimately they didn’t need him to win their domestic league … similarly he signed for Man City who won leagues without him but are still way off a CL ..
@Limón Madrugada: True lad, but he did specify the domestic league when making this statement.
And to be honest, I think he has a point.
@Limón Madrugada: found this, didn’t think the all time record was that even https://www.goal.com/en/news/real-madrid-barcelona-clasico-record-head-to-head/hxdm74dgfby81w9bsiejduy05
@Dave O Keeffe: who did you expect to be further ahead ??
@Margarita Huanca: no he did not , he said ‘every year they win , the leagues , the cups’ so why do 4 of the last 5 CL not count ?
It’s a league ( of sorts) and a CUP … not to mention Real did the treble two years ago … and have been World club champions meanwhile too .. Guardiola is deliberately omitting Real Madrid , which in the end is a backhanded compliment … he’s a bitter and resentful man sometimes beneath his superficial saintly image
@Limón Madrugada: thought Real would be ahead by a good bit