IRISH SPORTS COUNCIL Liam Brady Address ISC Conference

North-South delegates hear former soccer star’s recipe for future sports success

The importance of developing and perfecting technique among Irish youngsters participating in sport was highlighted by former Irish soccer International, Liam Brady when he addressed a sports conference in Naas today.

Speaking at the Irish Sports Council 4th All-Island Sports Development Conference titled ‘Sports in Ireland: Raising the Stakes’, Brady set out what Irish coaches need to do to develop a new generation of elite sporting talent.

Brady, who addressed delegates in his capacity as Head of Youth Development at Arsenal F.C., expressed his view that young Irish soccer players are not as technically skilled as young players in England and from the Continent, and outlined how this problem can be addressed.

“Only last night Ireland’s U.19’s beat Italy’s U.19’s four one. Northern Ireland, two nights ago, drew with Italy’s U.19’s nil nil.  From the group the South and the North have progressed at the expense of Italy.  The willingness is there, the talent is there, but what we need to do is address the technical aspect of our sports,” he told delegates.

Brady made specific reference to recent comments by Les Kershaw, the Director of Manchester United’s Football Academy that some English clubs do not see English nine year olds as effective and that they would “rather take a rag-arsed Irish lad at 16, who is a hardened competitor because of the Dublin and District Schools League is tough but he doesn’t have a great technique”

“As a United supporter when I was a kid I can remember great Irish players who served United so well such as Giles, Best, Whiteside, McElroy and McGrath and I was mildly offended at the comment,” Brady said. But he confessed to delegates that there was some measure of truth in what Kershaw’s had to say.

“In many ways the kids coming from Ireland now are not as technical as the boys that we have in England or the boys we may recruit from the Continent.  I would encourage the FAI, and the Government with their help, to help improve technique, not only for soccer players but for all our sports.  Technique is probably the vital component in sport, whether it’s football, whether it’s golf, etc”.

 “What we have to do, and what I would like to see happening in Ireland is for development centres to spring up and be organised where we can recruit - and I know it is elitist - nine, 10 and 11 years olds and give them a chance to practise their technique, whether it’s football, whether it’s golf or any other sport”.

“Life had changed.  You can’t let your kids go out at 9, 10 and 11 years of age and play in the street.  That’s all gone.  But forget that.  That’s not going to ever happen again.  What we can do is organise sport.  What we can do is scout these talented kids and bring them in and give them the opportunity to practice in a supervised situation. Teach them the things; how to be comfortable on the ball and how to control the ball”.

“When I went to Arsenal at 13 I did not get the treatment because I was big and strong.  I got it because I was the technically the equivalent, if not better than what was there and I think that is something that we have to address in soccer and I know that the FAI are supporting the need for an Academy here in Ireland to develop our best young soccer players,” he said.

Brady emphasised that this type of focus on developing playing technique was especially required for players from nine to 12 years of age before they are sidetracked by all the variety that they have in their lives.  “We need to get them to realise that they have got a chance to be footballers or to excel in other sports as well”.