Republic Of Ireland’s National Footballers Playing Overseas – Where Are They Now?

As is the way of football, our favourite players often spread their wings to explore new opportunities in the sport overseas. Over the years, Ireland has been the birthplace of some of the world’s best footballers, and today, there are countless ex-pats playing for teams around the world and also a number of world-class legends that will go down in history.

It’s always interesting to cast an eye back to those who were forged by football in Ireland and think about where they ended up, as well as what sort of success they found. While it might be somewhat disappointing to see our favourite players scoring for another European team, it’s just the way things go, and many of today’s players may end up going down in history like the greats of the past.

And at the end of the day, wherever they go, they are still flying the flag for Irish football, further increasing our reputation in the sport.

The History Of Football In Ireland
It’s worth looking back to where football first took hold in the country. Way back in the 1800’s people have been playing the beautiful game. Since the 1860’s players took up the sport around Ulster, and nearly two decades later, it began to spread across the island of Ireland to other counties.

The IFA or Irish Football Association was formed in Belfast in 1880 and regulated the game across the island for forty-one years. Once the country divided in 1921, football on the island of Ireland split too, separating the Republic of Ireland teams from Northern Ireland.

Football in Ireland has undergone several changes, many of which are related to political events and disagreements.

Football Legends From Ireland
There are a number of names we can rattle off, which are going to be expected by many reading this. A lot of these will be known as Ireland’s soccer greats, and it’s important to note that we’re only talking about those players who are now retired or sadly no longer with us.

Naming just a few of these legends, we start with the brilliant Roy Keane. He started his career with the Cobh Ramblers, only to move on to play for Nottingham Forest and then on to Manchester United and was made captain between 1997 and 2005.

After leaving the club, he joined Celtic and then became a manager for teams including Sunderland and Ipswich Town. He was also the assistant manager for Aston Villa and the ROI national team, too.

We also have some other incredible names that have gone down in the history books, such as Kevin Moran, Robbie Keane, Niall Quinn, and Paul McGrath, to name but a few.

Irish Footballers Playing Abroad Today
As we’re all aware, many players, when they reach a certain level of skill, will get scouted by teams in other major leagues, and a lot of the time, they will jump at the opportunity to spread their wings and also earn a bigger paycheck.

It’s happened with plenty of players over the years, and this simply shows how the quality of players coming out of Ireland continues to be something exceptional. Next, we have a list of a few of the great players that have been given the opportunity to experience other leagues abroad.

Many of the following players continue to show their impressive talents on the pitch, and you’ll find plenty of great betting opportunities with many of these players, too, with many providing great value for money on certain bets. Be sure to consider some of these players when making an accumulator via popular online betting sites. You can find lots of great welcome bonuses to maximise your winnings, similar to the great bonuses you can find for online casinos. Check out a selection of these via www.onlinecasinos.co.uk.

Zack Elbouzedi
Born in Dublin, Zachary started his career with Malahide United and was then quickly scouted by West Bromwich Albion in 2014. A few years later, he moved to the now Scottish championship team, Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

Unfortunately, due to an injury-ridden season, Zack terminated his contract via a mutual agreement and went on to play for Waterford in Ireland’s Premier Division. His return home was short-lived, however, as the midfielder was then scouted by Lincoln City.

Today, due to his talents, including his pace and acceleration, as well as his vision and determination off the ball, Zack has been snapped up by the Swedish team, AIK, one of the country’s “Big Three” teams, alongside IFK Göteborg, and Malmö FF. The 23-year-old has still got plenty of years left to continue his development, and who knows where we’ll see him next. Elbouzedi is definitely a young Irish player to keep tabs on.

John Egan
This Irish defender has secured his name as a household name in the Sheffield United first team, making 157 apps to date. He started his career, however, at Sunderland and hasn’t actually played for any team in the League of Ireland.

However, this staunch centre-back, with his great jumping reach and heading ability, has loaned his abilities to the Irish national team since 2017. Along with his ability in the air, his anticipation, determination, and bravery make him a force to be reckoned with.

While Sheffield United have found its way back down into the EFL Championship, Egan continues to provide solid defensive work for the team, helping them to remain in the top 5 and securing a Championship play-off spot, but sadly just missing out on promotion back into the Premier League.

Ryan Johansson
This youngster is a real European wildcard of Luxembourgish, Swedish, and Irish descent. Because of this, he has already played for the Swedish U17s team, the Luxembourg U17, U19, and U21 teams, and the Republic of Ireland U19 and U21 teams.

During his youth career, he started playing with Racing-Union and then moved on to Metz and then Bayern Munich, and was then snapped up by Sevilla in 2020. Naturally, as with many young signings, he was put on loan to help improve his skills in a lower league, but it’s evident that Sevilla’s Julen Lopetegui can see his potential.

While never playing for a League of Ireland team, Johansson could bring some great results to our national team in the future.