THE FUTURE OF St Patrick’s Athletic wonderkid Mason Melia was up for debate on the latest episode of the Football Family, the podcast for subscribers to The 42.
“Will Mason Melia become the first €1m League of Ireland player?” The 42’s Gavin Cooney asked.
“Because I believe the contract situation is such that Pat’s have him tied to a pretty good deal which would allow them to demand a decent fee.
“Someone coming in and paying a million quid directly to Pat’s for him, it is possible,” Cooney said.
The Football Family host David Sneyd added: “I think it’s one of those that if he is to become a €1m player, he is going to have to increase his goal output to make clubs actually say ‘Ok, we need to take this fella’.
“Don’t get me wrong, if you look at how he plays, all the raw materials are there but in terms of catching the eye even as a young player, it’s about getting more goals.
“His goal [for Ireland U19s earlier this month] was brilliant, it was a really good goal.
“I know he was actually playing against kids, but that is exactly what it looked like, him playing against kids.”
Former Cobh Ramblers boss Shane Keegan added: “It had a men against boys look about it alright. The touch is absolutely ridiculous and then don’t get me started about everything he does from there.
“He’s a serious, serious prospect. But again, you really don’t want to build these boys up too much, too young. Because is he showing more at that age than Troy Parrott, Kevin Zefi, Aaron Connolly or Evan Ferguson were?
“But Mason has certainly got an awful lot of ability, he’s going to have a chance,” Keegan said.
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Keegan is right. We’ve hyped up similar young player in the past and none of them are top top premier league players as yet. Ferguson might make it. But even he’s having difficulties right now with his manager suggesting he needs to do more. We’ve got to temper expectations when we talk about these lads as it’s a huge step from the LOI or youth football to regular senior football.
@Kevin: LOI is senior?
@Kevin: interesting to see if Evan can pick it up again, here’s hoping! Mad to think less than 12 months ago the media were calling him an 80 mill player…the highs are too high these days and the lows are never as low as the media suggest!!! Mason Melia looks the real deal but lets give him time, another few seasons at Pats with Kenny is not a bad thing!!
@Joe Beirne: you are right. But it’s a lower standard to the premier league.
@James Dowling: Many a young players dream has been shattered by injury, wrong leadership and lack of formal education. Evan has his head in the right place and will succeed!!!
@Kevin: 100% agree. Let the lad developed organically devoid of huge media hype. No doubt a bright prospect but the standard in LOI vs League 1 / Championship is bigger than we take for granted. Numerous players have left Irish clubs and struggled and came back to the LOI again. We give out about the English press for hyping up young lads. Hope it works out for him if he does get a move.
Im not sure how far he’ll go in his career, but if he can score goals on a more regular basis next year as a 17y/o I think pats will have no problem getting north of a million quid. They demanded a big fee for abankwah not so long ago and got it, and he’d hardly kicked a ball for pats first team.
Why not if he was english they be saying 10 million are norwegian
@Shawn: 10 million are Norwegian, what?
@Joe Beirne: Ya if he was Norwegian simple really
@Shawn: Simple in your brain maybe..
@Shawn: clear as mud….
@Michael: GAL
@Red Rooster: Ya