League One providing first port of call for burgeoning wave from League of Ireland

Not that it should be but if representation in the Premier League is a status symbol of sorts, last season was one to forget for the dwindling Irish contingent in that rarified air.

Among a set of 14 players to ply their trade in the English top flight in 2021-22, just under 10,000 minutes were amassed between them - a record low for Irish players in an EPL era when representation had been trending downwards for some time - with Ireland captain Seamus Coleman clocking up the biggest number.

The Everton full-back was 81st on the overall list for minutes played last season with Nathan Collins next best, ranked 213th.

While Collins returns to the top division with Wolves after transferring from relegated Burnley, he and Southampton arrival Gavin Bazunu are outliers when it comes to younger Irish talents cementing their place towards the top of the English pyramid. Bournemouth's newly-promoted Mark Travers and Liverpool number two Caoimhin Kelleher also fall under that category, albeit the latter is unlikely to see much game-time once again at Anfield.

As The Independent's chief football writer Miguel Delaney told the RTÉ Soccer Podcast recently, the hegemonic global footprint of the Premier League's catchment area means the entry way for Irish players to England is usually lower down the tiers now and at later ages.

And along with the restrictive impact of Brexit rules for under-18s, clubs at the higher end are increasingly looking less keenly towards Ireland for players in their mid-teens as had been the well-worn developmental path for aeons.

"I was told recently that because of the Brexit ruling a lot of Premier League clubs have taken their main scout out of Ireland, so they do everything through intermediaries or people they