Jake Carroll on huge Celtic interest in Ireland as Motherwell star admits pals only watch him if he plays Parkhead side

Irish players don’t grow up wanting to play for Motherwell.

If it’s not the Old Firm or anywhere in England, most talented youngsters from the Republic probably don’t give Scottish football a second thought.

But Jake Carroll reckons that might be changing. Certainly, if his experience is anything to go by, he’d encourage anyone with ambitions of playing in the UK to head north.

The 30-year-old defender has sampled the English game at Huddersfield, Bury, Hartlepool and Cambridge United. But he’s never been happier than at Fir Park.

And while loads of boys he grew up with dreamt of a big move to Celtic, he will at least share a pitch with the Hoops today as a key man for Graham Alexander’s side.

Carroll wasn’t too enamoured by life south of the border – on or off the pitch.

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But after signing a new deal at Well, he’s loving life in Lanarkshire and says the warmth of the Scottish people – as well as the football – is worth hanging around for.

As he prepared to face Celtic, the Irishman said: “In England you play Saturday, Tuesday every week and it’s dog eat dog.

“I’ve played a lot near the bottom of League Two and there’s not a lot of football played there. I’ve experienced the English Championship as