Vic your moment carefully
HOOPS BOSS SLAMS AGENTS AND SUGGESTS YOUNG IRISH ACES NEED HOME SCHOOLED
STEPHEN Bradley says Victor Ozhianvuna’s €2million Arsenal deal is the way forward for Irish teenagers – and that parents should not be “brainwashed” into sending their kids to Europe once they hit 16.
Ozhianvuna will move to the Premier League giants on a four-and-ahalf-year deal for a League of Ireland record fee in January 2027, after he turns 18.
According to Bradley, the 16-year-old (above) and St Pat’s striker Mason Melia (in set) – who is bound for Tottenham next year – can lead the way for others with dreams of playing at the highest level.
“If that, and Mason, aren’t the template for young players in this country, I don’t know what it is,” he said. “You go for X-amount of money, which Victor’s gone for, and straight away you’re respected when you’re in the building. Straight away you’re seen in a different light and your abilities are seen in a different light.”
STEPHEN BRADLEY has criticised agents who drive deals for Irish players to move to continental Europe before turning 18.
Instead, the Shamrock Rovers boss hailed Victor Ozhianvuna and Mason Melia for the patient way they went about their big money moves to Arsenal and Tottenham.
Hoops starlet Ozhianvuna, 16, yesterday sealed a four-and-a-half year deal with the Gunners in a €2million transfer that broke the League of Ireland record.
That was held by Melia, with the St Pat’s striker, 18, set to join Spurs in January for €1.9 million while Ozhianvuna will move to Arsenal in January 2027, once he turns 18.
Brexit rules mean Irish players cannot join British clubs until they hit that age.
But they can move to Europeanbased outfits before that – and a host of youngsters have done so.
For the most part, they leave for small sums of money and Bradley feels some of those players are “being sold a dream” as so many have had unsuccessful spells away.
The Hoops boss feels they would be better served staying in the League of Ireland for longer, where they can be exposed to first-team football.
Bradley said: “They’re getting really poor advice, the large majority. Really poor advice.
“Parents are being brainwashed by having to go to Europe at 16. It’s absolutely nonsense. Being sold a dream.
“I’ve had so many players that have left here at 16 ringing me the last few months. ‘Can we meet for a coffee? Can we come in and train?’.
“The parents are ringing me, ‘can we try to help them again?’.
“This sending players out at 16 is nonsense. They’ve just swapped England for Europe. Then you throw in the language barrier to a different type of league.
“It becomes a whole different problem. People are getting excited because of European names. It’s wrong.”
Bradley continued: “There’s too many agents just looking to push players at the first opportunity out of this country. It’s the wrong move.
“History tells you that the ones that go away late are the better ones. You’ll always get the Robbies, the Damiens, Evan Ferguson, who are just ready.
“But in the majority, players need to stay here, trust the clubs, play first-team football and go at a later date.”
Bradley knows exactly what Ozhianvuna is facing, having joined Arsenal himself as a highly-rated teenager.
The Hoops boss continued: “Victor trusts us, which is important. The family trusts us. He could have gone to any club at 16 around Europe.
“But they’ve shown us the respect and signed a professional deal. They’ve trusted us as a club and in return, we make him a better player before he goes.
“We expose him to different challenges, different environments and he gets a record-breaking move.
“If that, and Mason, aren’t the template for young players in this country, I don’t know what it is.”
Bradley feels the transfer is another step in the right direction for Irish football.
“It shows what can be achieved,” he said. “He’s a special talent. He’s a special boy. It shows that teams around Europe are starting to respect Irish football.
“It doesn’t mean every player is going to go for that fee, but it’s showing us where we can go in that direction.”
Ozhianvuna will stay with Rovers for the rest of this season and all of the 2026 League of Ireland campaign, with Bradley adding: “He’s going to be exposed a lot more.
“He’ll get a lot of experience and he’ll improve. Then he’s ready to go.
“Gavin Bazunu did it years ago and this has shown a clear path in terms of trust and what can be achieved.”