Identifying and analysing the brightest emerging talents in Northern Irish football – scout report

Football in Northern Ireland is thriving; Larne secured their first-ever NIFL Premiership title last season and possess a fantastic youth academy that is producing highly talented youngsters. Additionally, Linfield are the countrys most successful club and have some highly rated young players among their ranks, including Max Haygarth, who has spent time at Premier League clubs Brentford and Manchester United.

On the international stage, Northern Irelands most notable appearance came at the UEFA European Championship in 2016, marking their first-ever participation in the tournament. During the competition, Michael ONeills side progressed to the round of 16, where they faced Wales and were unfortunately knocked out due to an own goal. 

Throughout the tournament, key players such as Rangers legend Steven Davis, Kyle Lafferty, and Manchester United fan favourite Jonny Evans played pivotal roles, displaying their talents and contributing to the teams excellent run.

In this tactical analysis and scout report, our focus is to shed light on the young players with the brightest futures in Northern Irelands footballing landscape. We will look into how these players fit into their teams tactics and analyse what their individual skills bring. 

Jack Hastings  Larne F.C.

The first player we are going to look at in this analysis piece is Larne centre forward Jack Hastings. The 17-year-old has put in some impressive performances at Under 18 and Under 20 level this season, which have seen him propel himself onto the fringes of the first team. 

Hastings has a wonderful ability to get himself into pockets of space to receive the ball when Larne U20s are looking to build an attack. Here, he tends to drop deeper to receive the ball from his teammates, often drifting into the half spaces and the wide areas, which naturally creates space for midfield runners through the centre. As Hastings retreats into deeper areas, opposing defenders are compelled to follow suit, creating valuable space behind the defensive line. This spatial disruption is instrumental in opening up opportunities for Larnes attacking players to exploit.

Moreover, as Hastings drops deeper into the midfield, it increases Larnes numerical superiority in this area of the pitch. Having more players in a smaller area proves crucial for ball retention, enabling the team to control the tempo of the game and overwhelm the opposition during the build-up phase. The young forwards off-the-ball movement and positioning also offer an additional passing option as Larne are looking to build an attack which is often particularly valuable in high-pressure situations or when playing out from the back.