A MANAGER OF a top League of Ireland club was left furious recently when one of his new signings refused to take part in the start of pre-season training.

The player, who had relocated in order to join, was making a stand because of what he deemed to be unacceptable living conditions at the property where it had been arranged for him to stay by his employers.

When he explained the circumstances to his manager, that anger was redirected towards those higher up in the club for putting the player in such a situation.

It was an embarrassing episode that was eventually resolved once sufficient improvements were made.

Other stories of unacceptable housing arrangements for players in the League of Ireland have also surfaced during this pre-season.

The housing crisis is putting a strain on professionals in different sectors throughout the country, while latest figures from the Department of Housing illustrated a grim picture for those more vulnerable.

The number of people living in emergency accommodation has increased to a record 14,966. For the 10th consecutive month the numbers have risen, with 10,321 adults and 4,645 children making up the figures.

In December, a bulletin from the Rent Tenancies Board confirmed that the average cost of rent for new tenancies in Ireland has grown to over €1,600.

For existing tenancies that figure was €1,415.

The 42 reported last year how the average wage for a full-time player in the League of Ireland is estimated to be in the region of €700 a week. Since the start of the 2024 season the implementation of the minimum wage standard means no professional aged 20 or over is earning less than €22,360 annually.

There is a tiered system, with a 19-year-old’s salary starting at €19,760, €17,160 for an 18-year-old, and €14,560 for those 16- and 17-year-olds.

Deductions of €100 (up to a maximum of €5,000) are allowed in each instance for those clubs paying players’ accommodation costs, and for education.

As part of their preparations for the 2025 campaign, representatives from the Professional Footballers’ Association of Ireland (PFA Ireland) have been travelling to clubs around the country listening to different concerns.

One of the top issues dominating discussion in dressing rooms is the housing crisis and the effect it is having on some of their own careers.

Stephen McGuinness, the general secretary of PFA Ireland, has also been contacted by the Irish Council for Social Housing and invited to give a presentation at the International Social Housing Festival in June later this year.

To give an extent of the struggle clubs are now facing to adequately house some of their players, McGuinness has been informed of some PFA Ireland members who are sharing rooms with teammates.

Examples of four of five players living in the one house have long been commonplace, and clubs have needed to be resourceful, but overcrowding to such an extent where players don’t even have their own bedroom has been described as “unhealthy” by McGuinness.

There is an acceptance of the strain clubs are now facing given the housing crisis, but McGuinness insists new parameters will soon be required when it comes to finalising contracts. He cites examples such as detailing the specific address of any property to be used and standard of accommodation, rather than vague details.

“There are no rules and regulations at the moment. Having the address in writing in the contract and confirmation of their own bedroom will be needed,” he says.

One club had access to three houses for some of its players last season, but financial issues meant bills went unpaid and they no longer have their use. As a result, one new player who signed from abroad ahead of the 2025 campaign has been placed with a local family willing to take him in.

Such acts of benevolence are a necessary requirement throughout the country when it comes to helping new arrivals.

In another case for a player looking to join a club in Dublin, the cost of renting his own property was almost the same as his monthly wage.

“The perception that some people might have of players getting a flat to themselves from the club or even definitely having their own room is not the reality in our league,” McGuinness said.

This is also a league that will have 10 full-time teams making up the top flight for the first time, but other important aspects of club infrastructure and personnel will take time to materialise.

For example, when Neil Farrugia left Shamrock Rovers as a free agent earlier this month he eventually signed for Barnsley in England’s League One.

To allow for a smooth transition to his new surroundings, the Dubliner has been able to access a relocation package worth £8,000 (€9,500) to cover the short-to-medium term. That package is standard throughout Britain and clubs also have additional supports like full-time player welfare officers or operations directors to help signings settle in.

The housing crisis here is also one aspect that has led to an inflation in salaries for players, while the chances of being able to secure a player with a family and offering them the chance to relocate is out of reach more often than not.

One knock-on effect is that it simply makes it easier to sign players who are younger and single, and therefore more willing to share a house with teammates.

Aiden O’Brien’s short spell with Shelbourne came to an end after winning the Premier Division primarily because his family circumstances dictated that he needed to be back in the south of England.

It also wasn’t feasible for them to join him in the apartment he was sharing with a teammate in a suburb of Dublin.

Conversely, the club were able to offer private accommodation to another player and his family as part of his overall package for the next two seasons. He had to lower wage demands as a result but both parties were satisfied.

For others, though, the housing crisis has started to bite.