Promotion winning boss Brian Barry-Murphy has thanked the Cardiff City youngster for justifying his faith in them after he guided the Welsh club back to the Championship at the first time of asking.
Cork native Barry-Murphy was aware of Cardiff’s young players from his time as Manchester City under 21s boss from 2021 to 2024 and says they were one of the reasons he took the job.
“I had been at Manchester City for three years, so I was aware of all of our best young talent, but I was also aware of all the young players of, say, born in 2002 right the way up to 2007-08,” Barry-Murphy told BBC Radio 5 Live’s Monday Night Club.
“So I knew all of the best talent and I had a pretty strong idea that the players at Cardiff were as good as a lot of the best young talent in Europe.
“It just hadn’t been seen really. It was something that maybe everybody on the outside wouldn’t have been aware of, and if I could get that, combined with some senior pros who would really nurture them and help them overcome the inevitable obstacles that you’re facing in the course of a League One season, it would give us a great chance of winning.
“One of the big things that brought me to Cardiff was my belief that the young players that we’ve spoken so much about throughout the course of the season could play at the very highest level.
“So I fully intend to honour that and if that doesn’t work, or I’m wrong, then so be it, but clearly we’d have to improve the squad in certain areas, but always with quality over quantity.”
The tender for the redevelopment of Dalymount Park has been issued by the Government as progress continues at pace on a new 8,000 capacity home for Bohemians.
The Irish Examiner’s John Fallon reports that the estimated cost of the project has risen from €40million to €60million over the last 18 months with €34million of that total to be borrowed by Dublin City Council.
The report adds that Bohs will leave their home at the end of the current season with the full redevelopment expected to take four years in total but with a return to action there possible within two years.
Richmond Park, home to St Patrick’s Athletic, and the RDS are under consideration as temporary host venues by Bohs.
Grants, including €24.7m in the 2024 Large Scale Sports Infrastructure Fund, mean Bohs won’t have to raise any funds towards the cost of the work.
Bayern Munich boss Vincent Kompany will put rest before reward this summer after confirming he has turned down work as a World Cup pundit in favour of a holiday and a break from football.
Several broadcasters including BBC and ITV had invited the former Manchester City captain to join their expert panels for the tournament in America.
But with newly crowned German champions Bayern still chasing Champions League glory, Kompany will take the opportunity to take a break in June.
Talksport radio’s website reports that, when asked if he would work at the World Cup, Kompany said: “No chance! What am I supposed to do, work as a TV pundit on holiday? Otherwise, I won’t have a family left in Munich next year! So, absolutely no chance!”
Carla Ward’s Ireland have jumped up to 23rd spot in the latest FIFA Women’s World Rankings thanks to their World Cup double over Poland.
The RTE website reports that the Girls In Green are up four places after a pair of qualifier wins against the Poles in Gdansk and then the Aviva Stadium.
Ireland, currently third in the League A Group 2 table, are now just one off their best rating of 22nd, achieved just before the 2023 World Cup.
Holland are next up for Ward’s side when they meet in Cork on June 5th before a trip to France four days later in their final group fixture.
The EFL Championship will proceed without any form of VAR next season after clubs voted against the introduction of a VAR challenge system for managers.
The proposal from English football’s refereeing governing body PGMO was first put to EFL clubs last month but has now been rejected by a majority vote according to the Sky Sports website.
Goal-line technology will be in operation in the Championship while VAR’s range of powers will be extended in the Premier League.
