IN PREPARATION FOR the UEFA Under 17 Elite Qualifying Round which gets underway in Poland in March, the Republic of Ireland underage side faced the international schools team in a warm-up clash earlier this week.
Named on the bench was Mathieu Gadet, a 15 year-old defender currently plying his trade with Lyon in France.
Qualifying for Ireland through his Donabate-born mother, Gadet had come to the attention of Irish manager Tom Mohan and the boss was quick to pounce.
“He’s been on our radar. A friend of mine was aware of Mathieu’s situation at Lyon and told me about him. I sent him an invite and thankfully he came along. He has the qualities to get into the Lyon setup and you can’t be a bad player if you’re a young lad at such a well-regarded club. For him to be there, in a country with such a history of producing great players, it can only be good.”
Gadet enjoyed his first involvement with an Irish squad.
It was a nice opportunity for me. I was delighted to be asked over for these few days and I know Ireland well as I’ve been over here many times visiting my family.”
He fitted in seamlessly. Communication wasn’t an issue and his turn of phrase even came as a shock to Mohan.
“It surprised me, actually. His English was really good. I was just glad we didn’t need to be speaking French to him.”
In a week where 16 year-old Martin Odegaard was signed to a reportedly lucrative contract by Real Madrid (2.2m euro per year is the figure being touted by well-respected journalists), the spotlight has re-focused on prodigious youngsters and stakeholders handling them in the right way.
Mohan is quick to point out that Gadet is far from the finished package and that he, like every other player of a similar age, needs constant guidance and support – not lavish praise.
He still needs loads of development. He needs to progress physically and you have to remember that some players will develop at different stages. So, you have to just keep monitoring them. There are so many demands on young players now. A player you see in January can be a lot different in February.”
“But, he’s a good young fella with a great personality and characteristics. He’s good technically with a good range of passing. He can play at a good tempo, the passes are crisp and firm but he’s still learning the game. You’re never going to get the full article at 15 or 16 but he’s got plenty of potential.”
