Republic of Ireland footballers playing in the Premiership 2010/2011 season

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The Premiership is regarded by many as the best league in the world and Irish players have been contributing for over a decade now. Earlier stars of Roy Keane and Denis Irwin will go down as some of the Premiership's finest.

Irish soccer continues to churn out high quality players year in year out and the recent progression of Irish league soccer has seen many graduate to the upper echelon of soccer. Many of the more 'established' Irish stars came from small clubs, like Cherry Orchard, and are now playing their football on one the worlds biggest stages. It really is a great testament to our small but great country.

The 2010-11 season is already brewing up to be one of the greatest ever and many Irish players are prominent at big clubs. We have players at the likes of Manchester United, Manchester City, Tottenham and Aston Villa, some of the biggest clubs in Europe.

Here we take a quick look at some of our International stars and how we see the season panning out for them. Also included are the names of 14 young Irish schoolboys who are making waves as they come through the ranks of the Premiership's finest. These will be the future of Irish football.



Robbie Keane – Tottenham
It's safe to say that Robbie Keane has had more clubs than you or I have had hot dinners but the Irishman is a talented footballer. The Irishman has had eight different clubs and is still only aged 30. The majority of them have been English but the Dubliner has had spells in Italy (Inter Milan) and Scotland (Celtic). In chronological order Keane spent time at Coventry, Wolves, Inter Milan, Leeds, Tottenham, Liverpool and is now back at Spurs. Keane spent a turbulent few months at Liverpool before transferring back to London and Spurs again. The unrest didn't stop there though as the Irish captain was loaned out to Celtic after struggling for form. However, in Scotland Keane scored in 12 of his 16 games at Parkhead. Pretty impressive from Keane but the Scottish league isn't exactly taxing and he certainly has something to prove now. Keane has all the attributes to do well in the Premiership. His pace, work rate and top class movement make him a defenders nightmare. On his day his finishing is exceptional although he has been guilty of some horror misses. It's hard to know what to expect for Keane this year after Tottenham did so well without him last year. He may be asked to stay at the club due to the fixture overload Spurs will experience this year. The London outfit will be pushing for a Champions League spot and if successful Harry Redknapp will need a big a squad as possible. On the other hand it wouldn't be a surprise to see Keane on the move again but to whom? The future is unclear for Irelands greatest ever goal scorer at the moment, club wise that is. Internationally, Keane is one of the first names down on Giovanni Trapattoni's team. 100 caps has produced 43 goals and that tally will only get bigger. Keane is desperate to hit the 50 mark for his country.



Richard Dunne – Aston Villa
Standing at nearly 6 foot 2 inches Richard Dunne has been one of the Premiership's most commanding centre halves over the last decade. Four years at Everton, nine at Manchester City and now currently with Aston Villa Dunne has established himself as one of the Premierships finest. Pace, power, positioning and awareness have made him one of toughest centre backs to come up against. Throw into the mix his ability in air, in the defensive third and attacking third, along with great bravery, making him the complete package. Manchester City should be rueing letting the Dublin man go last year. His record speaks for itself and he's certainly a better and more consistent defender than Kolo Toure and maybe even Joleon Lescott, the two current Manchester City centre halves. Manchester City loss has been Aston Villa's gain though and Dunne again had another fine season in 2009-10. Helping Villa to another good year and a place in Europe. Dunne must have been looking forward to another good season but the departure of Martin O'Neill must be a concern for the "Honey Monster". O'Neill brought great morale to Villa Park and Villa will now find it an awful lot tougher to finish in the top 6. Dunne, however, is a leader and a pro so let's hope for another good year for towering defender.


Stephan Carr – Birmingham City
The flying full back is still going strong at the age of 33 and had a fine season with Birmingham last year. Birmingham proved to be one of the toughest teams to break down in 2009-10 especially at home and Carr was part of a four man back line capable of holding out any Premiership team. The right full back has obviously lost a bit of the pace he once had but still rates a flyer. His many years at top clubs like Tottenham and Newcastle have given him a great experience edge and his will to win is second to none. The Dubliner is very aggressive and has a top class work rate. Birmingham boss, Alex McLeish, seen these characteristics and swiftly handed Carr the captains arm band for the 2009-10 season. Carr repaid him with a stellar season which helped the Blues to a top ten finish. They exceeded all expectations to finish ninth and Birmingham fans will be hoping for another good year. It's hard to see Birmingham progressing further than ninth this year but given the solid back line along with the tenacious and hard working midfielders they possess, they will prove tough nuts to crack especially at St. Andrews. The arrival of Ben Foster should also help replace Joe Hart. Carr retired from International football in 2007 but judging on last seasons performances, he could well still hold down a place on the panel.



Keith Fahey – Birmingham City
After failing to settle in England as a teenager with Arsenal and Aston Villa Keith Fahey moved back to his native Ireland in 2003. The now 27-year-old had spells at St. Patricks Athletic and Drogheda United but was clearly too good for the League Of Ireland. Birmingham snapped up the centre midfielder in January 2009 and Fahey was a key player in Birmingham's promotion push in 2008-09. He made his Premiership debut against Manchester United at Old Trafford last year but in truth was only a bit part player in 2009-10. However, Alex McLeish recognised his talents and gave him a contract which ends in 2013 saying "he has proved himself a Premiership player". Fahey's attributes include quick feet, skill and a good passing ability. His final ball has always been one of his deadliest weapons and has always been to the fore in assist rankings wherever he's gone. Fahey can also play on the wing and has done so for Birmingham in the past. He's only been capped at Senior level once for Ireland but is certainly worthy of his place in the current squad.

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