STEPHEN KENNY believes Mason Melia has all the attributes to go all the way – but he is unsure if his seven-figure transfer fee is a watershed for the League of Ireland.
Melia, 17, this week agreed a deal that will see him swap St Patrick’s Athletic for Premier League giants Tottenham Hotspur next January.
The transfer is delayed until after his 18th birthday because of Brexit rules but is a League of Ireland record fee, which is understood to be €2 million plus add-ons.
The striker, from Newtownmountkennedy, has long been tipped for greatness, and a big fee was expected once he agreed a three-year professional deal last year after turning 16.
But Kenny is unsure if his million-plus fee will lead to it becoming the norm as he pointed out that Melia is exceptional in every way.
St Patrick’s Athletic boss Kenny said: “The reason Mason was signed was because he played against Istanbul Basaksehir and international centre-halves, gave them a torrid night in Tallaght.
“And because he has gone away in Azerbaijan and played in the three rounds, six games and looked absolutely at home…
“Taken responsibility and played against Shamrock Rovers and played very well and against Shelbourne and did well.
“When you see players play at that level, Europa League level and you see that quality.
“And the chief scouts and the director of football at clubs look and see that there are very few 16 year olds in Europe playing at that level.
“You can go to Belgium and sometimes France and there are some 16 and 17 year olds playing. But they have been full-time in their system from 14 or 15.
“In other eras, the real elite, elite (Irish) centre forward of the international team would probably be in England at 16. Obviously, the advent of Brexit has changed that somewhat.
“It’s a bit unusual to have a 16-year-old centre forward leading the line in Azerbaijan, in Istanbul against experienced international defenders and doing well.”
Were it not for Melia’s performances in the top games, Kenny is unsure if the fee would be so high.
And he highlighted how the talented teenagers not ready for League of Ireland first team level are not getting the same development as they would in England or Europe.
Kenny added: “I am personally not hung up on the fee but I get the big picture and the symbolism of that.
“But certainly, it is interesting because we are in our infancy since Brexit with our young players.
“A lot of the players that came into the international team (Troy Parrott, Adam Idah et al) that you are fed up of me mentioning, 90 per cent of them went to England at 16.
“That’s not possible anymore, so how is the gap going to be filled? How are the players going to develop in that period?
“It wasn’t always successful, don’t forget, because we had that barren decade when not many players came through.
“There is a way for players to come through, like Mason playing in (a LOI) first team but he is a unique player.
“Not many squads in the Premier Division are going to have too many 16-year-olds in the first team. That’s not happening unless you have a developmental side.
“Is the under-20 league at a level? The pitches are not great. I’ve been at some of the matches. Not great facilities.
NEED FOR FACILITIES
“Doing two or three nights a week and people say it is good facilities, it is not really what you need. It does need creative thinking, I am not sure there is enough of it.
“We’ve taken four players from our Under-20s and sent them on loan to first division clubs, at Bray, Wexford, Finn Harps and one at Dundalk.
“We have taken that approach as well as players come to the fore. So it is an issue as regards how players develop.
“There are some initiatives, with transition year schooling and that… it will be interesting to see what happens with that.”
But while Kenny reckons that few players will follow the route of a generational talent like Melia, he believes all young players should aspire to be like him.
He continued: “Mason is a great example for young players, because he has great humility.
“And he is very normal outside of his talent, a very normal young man and he carries himself really well.
“He hasn’t been caught up in all the other stuff around it, which can happen as well, lots of examples. So, he’s a grounded lad who has taken everything in his stride.
“When we were talking about hopes and ambitions for the team and in team meetings, it was only about what he could do this year for the team, it wasn’t about what was in the future.
“He has taken everything in his stride incredibly well, stepped up, stepped up, stepped up, anything asked of him. He has looked a class act.”
