Jonathan Afolabi.

From my Glasgow team to my Dublin team...I'll take that...

As @eire4 said the LOI and especially Bohs is a great stepping stone and shop window for young players at the moment. Obviously I'd prefer to see the talent stay in the league but unfortunately bar 2 maybe 3 clubs the money just isn't there to keep them...

A great chance for the young lad to prove himself and hopefully bag a load of goals...

The Bohezzzzzz..

 

Best of luck to him, but this can go to ex-players and is not likely to be one we talk of much again ever

 

I don't know how accurate it was but I read an article after Promise Omochere's recent transfer to Fleetwood Town which was for an undisclosed 5 figure sum which said that Fleetwood's overall budget was about 6m which was more then the entire LOI premier division's budget. Again not sure how accurate that is but it does put into perspective the current gap.
As an aside I think the LOI need to do something about giving longer term contracts and that way they can start demanding higher transfer fees.

 

Yeah Bohs have been terrible at giving contracts and then losing our best players every season for next to nothing... the short season doesn't help and neither do the clowns running the league...

Another thing is facilities.. hard to get punters through the door when the sradiums are falling down.. Bohs, Pats, Dundalk,Shels stadiums are an absolute disgrace... four of the biggest clubs in Ireland.. Hopefully Dalymount and Tolka get sorted next few years.. I see Harps have had plans for a new stadium approved...

The standard in the league is good and the proof is there in recent European results.. The league needs good leadership..

Anyway rant over mate...ha

 

No question for the most part the facilities are embarrassing. There are promising signs at least with attendances notably up, the beginnings of real academy systems been set up at the clubs and the fact that as well brexit means younger promising Irish kids are plying their trade early on at least in the LOI has raised standards as is good for everyone. If the facilities could get improved that would be a massive step. One area that I think could be looked at is having more combined facilities. The fact that the GAA get government money to help with building costs yet are only for the GAA makes no sense in a small country like Ireland. Louth and Dundalk are the perfect example. The new Louth GAA stadium which will have a 14,000 capacity when it's finished is partly government funded. Surely Dundalk could have been brought into the equation there to share the new stadium. Would have been better for everyone.

 

https://m.independent.ie/sport/socc...-bohemians-ace-jonathan-afolabi-42332565.html


Some of those young players who were named as Best In Class by the experts have wasted little time in the three-and-a-half years since they made their mark.

Of the XI footballers selected by UEFA’s technical staff as the overall team of the tournament at the U-19 Euro finals in Armenia in 2019, four have gone on to play for Spain’s senior side (and Fabio Vieira has yet to win a senior cap with Portugal but is an important player for a title-chasing Arsenal this season while senior caps await the two French representatives).

Ireland’s entrant on that best XI list has been treading water more than making waves, as Jonathan Afolabi is now 23 but has yet to start a top-flight game at club level and is way, way down the pecking order with his international team.

But after a three-year spell spent in cold storage with Celtic, and then a promising start back home in Ireland with Bohemians which was ruined last year by injury after just one start, the striker says his ambitions and goals remain the same.

“That dream, playing for Ireland, will always be there for me,” says Afolabi, taking a break from an intense pre-season training programme with Bohs ahead of the 2023 season.

“I've put on that green shirt since I was a kid, playing up an age group for the U-19s, going to the Euro finals with the U19s, playing for the U21s. It will always be there for me to try and do that and I wouldn't sell myself short, I have played for Stephen Kenny before with the U-21s and he knows what I am capable of, it's up to me to show it. Everyone knows I have the ability, I just need to show that.



That’s why this season is such a big year for me with Bohemians. I'm 23 now and I have a lot of time to make up for, trying to get back to the levels I was at, to show what I can do. I think everyone knows what I can do, it's a matter of showcasing it for everyone.”




The former St Joseph’s Boys man impressed for that Ireland side at the U-19 Euro finals in 2019 as Tom Mohan’s outfit reached the last four (though Afolabi missed the semi-final loss to Portugal due to suspension), even though he was a free agent, having been released by Southampton before departure.

“Spain had six players in the team of the tournament like Fernan Torres. They had all these lads from clubs like Barcelona and Real Madrid, and I was the only player with ‘unattached’ beside their name,” he laughs.

Hot property in the summer of 2019, Afolabi opted for a move to Celtic, high hopes of making the most of his three-year deal, but that was ill-fated and despite four loan spells in Scotland’s lower leagues, he got nowhere near the first team.



After two years I think I knew I wasn't going to make the first team, I had planned to get into the first team, that's why I went there but there are very high expectations at a club like Celtic, they expect to win every game and you need to be at the top of your level to even have a sniff,” he says, one of many young Irish players (Luca Connell, Lee O’Connor) who had youthful progress blocked at Celtic




I read that Celtic was bad for a lot of young Irish players, us not breaking through but there are two sides to it, if the players don't perform, they have no reason to put you into the first team. We had different pathways and we're making our way now in different ways.

“I take responsibility for stuff I could have done better, been more professional, I didn't do anything wrong as such but there were steps I needed to take to improve, if I had taken all of my opportunities it could have been a different story for me at Celtic, you have to be ready when it happens.”

“I can’t say it was three wasted years, I learned the levels you need to be at, how professional you need to be, what hard work you need to put that Celtic shirt,” added Afolabi, happy to see close friend and fellow Dubliner Bosun Lawal make his debut for the Bhoys last month.

Keith Long, familiar with Afolabi from the days at nursery club Joey’s, took Afolabi to Bohs. He was upping his fitness after three sub appearances and made the most of his first start by scoring in an FAI Cup tie against Lucan United, but didn’t see out that game due to injury and didn’t play again, while Long was sacked four days later.

As for Bohs’ prospects for the new season, Afolabi adds: “Everyone is fired up, new staff and new players, it should be a good season for us. We are still working on stuff but we know the way we will play, with the crop we have, we have no excuses for not being in and around the top, we have to aim for Europe.”

 

Fair play accepting his own failings

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One to get moved to ex players, good luck, but he's probably not going anywhere

 

Is the euro results better than our clubs out with us and Huns ?

I'm thinking it probably is

 

Not anywhere of significance not likely. Bohemians have a real lack of attacking options so if he can stay fit it will be interesting to see how he does this season. Fair play to him in his recent interview talking about his time at Celtic and basically saying it was on him not anybody else and taking ownership for the fact that the move didn't work out but also saying he still learned a lot from his 3 years at Celtic. Time will tell if he can put that to use and build a decent career for himself.

 

Yeah mate if ya left us and the huns out Irish teams are out performing Scottish teams the last few years.. Sligo easily beat Motherwell 3-0 over 2 legs last season in the Conference league.. Rovers and Dundalk have made the group stages of the Europa last few years, Bohs came within a goal couple of seasons back too..

 

i latched onto that one bit mate i know it wasnt the topic

What do you think the Irish football is getting right that scottish football is getting wrong mate if you dont mind me asking ?

 

There are lots of things Irish football isn't doing right compared to Scotland too mate. stadiums for example.. Bar Shamrock Rovers every Premier league and probably championship teams in Scotland have better facilities.. Irish football isn't a shinning light of football ha..

On the pitch the main difference for me when it comes to Europe is summer football.. Irish teams are mid season when the qualifiers come around. Irish teams have settled squads, match fitness, familiarity with their team mates compared to the likes of maybe a Motherwell where they have a host of changes to their squad and probably just started pre season.. its a massive advantage.. I'm not sure Sligo would easily roll Motherwell over if both were mid season

 

Have always been a safe 15-20 goals/season in my lower english league FM saves.

Good luck to him

 

Scored 6 goals in his last 5 matches.

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Give him a run out tomorrow, see what he can do.

 

thought this was in the ex players thread not Celtic chat. Somebody should move it.

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Absolutely ripping it up... Mon the Bohezzzzz

 

He's an ex celt now, no?