Irish in the Premier League: The going has never been tougher

The ultra-globalisation of the Premier League has steadily been diluting the presence of Irish players in the division for a number of years now and, with Brexit laws resulting in a lot of young Irish talents being picked up by clubs on the continent, that trend may even escalate.

Just 14 Irishmen featured in England's elite division this season.

On Wednesday, Stephen Kenny names his Republic of Ireland squad for the June Nations League games against Armenia, Ukraine and Scotland, with a few of his Premier League performers unavailable due to injury.

This year some new kids on the block dipped their toes into Premier League waters for the first time while other old dogs for the hard road endured topsy-turvy campaigns.

Here's how they fared.

Nathan Collins (Burnley)

Premier League appearances: 19

It was a miserable end to the campaign for 21-year-old centre-half Collins. He was guilty of an ill-judged handball that gifted Newcastle a penalty during their 2-1 win at Turf Moor, a result that sealed relegation for the Clarets. However the Irish defender has been one of the few bright spots in a dour Burnley season. Having arrived from Stoke last summer, Collins has continued to mature into a player of real calibre. He really settled into the side from the spring time onwards, chipping in with a couple of goals and turning in some big performances. Collins belongs in the top flight.

Andrew Omobamidele (Norwich City)

Premier League appearances: 5

Omobamidele made his Premier League debut against Arsenal last September, the same month he excelled for Ireland away to Portugal in a World Cup qualifier. It was a shame that his season was derailed by a back injury that sidelined him from December. The Canaries went down but Omobamidele will