Duo tipped for the top
A leading Irish soccer coach has tipped Ryan O'Reilly and Jonathan Leddy – two budding Cavan soccer stars who have begun to make waves at international level – for a bright future in the sport. FAI Regional Development Officer Tom Mohan, himself a former League of Ireland player revealed this week that both Butlersbridge boy Leddy and Crosserlough player O'Reilly “have the potential†to make it as far as the professional game. Fifteen-year-old O'Reilly, a 6ft 2 centre-half who has been playing for Ballyjamesduff Celtic for six years, flies out to Brazil this Friday to represent Everton in the prestigious Futures Tournament against 12 of the top sides in the world including the likes of Barcelona, Boca Juniors and Paris St Germain, while Leddy is currently on the books at Roy Keane's Ipswich Town, who he captained in the recent Umbro Cup tournament. “Both lads played in an international in Hungary last week and Ryan was over in Italy, Jonny missed that trip through injury,†explained Mohan. “Ryan has been over and back five or six times with Manchester United and a number of other clubs including Leicester and now Everton have been interested in him.†O'Reilly, a son of Patrick and Noreen O'Reilly from Crover, is currently a third year student at St Patrick's College while Cavan Shamrocks' Leddy, a former St Pat's student who Mohan describes as “a Liam Brady-style, creative, left-sided midfielderâ€, is now based in Ipswich full-time as he makes his way in the sport. “Ryan definitely has the ability,†said Mohan. “He's a big lad and he's a real stylish, footballing centre-half. Left-sided centre-halves are not that common. He won't turn 16 till next summer so he's not fully physically developed yet,†he said. “They are both hardworking lads and there is no reason why they can't go a long way in the game.†“As the Cavan Monaghan Underage League is progressing it is testament to the sheer hard work of all the clubs in Cavan and Monaghan ,the Emerging Talent Programme, the league and especially Tom Mohan of the FAI as we see how, as an organisation, we have grown and developed a clear path way for any child to reach their dream,†stated league secretary Martin Kiernan. Leddy is a son of Paddy and Fidelma of Drumsilla, Butlersbridge. Both players formerly played Gaelic football with the Crosserlough and Butlersbridge clubs. Both played for the Republic of Ireland Under 16 team against Hungary in Budapest a fortnight ago.