Zefi's stalled career shows domestic bliss can be best

For decades, the path to footballing stardom for young Irish talent was practically set in stone: pack your bags at 16, cross the Irish Sea, and try to carve out a career in England's ruthless footballing pyramid.

It was a rite of passage that countless players undertook, some finding success, many more quietly drifting out of the system.

That familiar conveyor belt halted with Brexit, forcing a generation to rethink how – and where – they pursue their footballing dreams. In some cases, it's meant staying put.

In others, like Kevin Zefi's, it has meant going continental.

Zefi’s name re-entered the conversation in the last week after he featured for Sligo Rovers at the Showgrounds in a mid-season friendly against Mansfield Town.

At 20, it was a return – if only in a friendly setting – to Irish soil where he once made history.

In 2020, as a 15-year-old, Zefi became the youngest goal-scorer in League of Ireland history when he scored for the Shamrock Rovers B team in the First Division.

Kevin Zefi (R) burst onto the scene with the Shamrock Rovers B team

Not long after, he swapped Tallaght for Milan, signing with Inter.

The dream move was sealed. What’s followed, however, has been a reminder that potential doesn't always guarantee progress.

Despite a subsequent transfer to Roma, Zefi hasn't played senior competitive football since his involvement with that Shamrock Rovers B team.

It's easy to see why young players are enticed by the big European names. Who wouldn't want to wear the badge of Inter or Roma? The latter have offered Evan Ferguson an enviable season-long escape from his stalled Brighton career.

But football isn't just about training in pristine facilities or posting pictures in club colours.

It’s about minutes, competition, and resilience – about becoming hardened in the reality of professional sport.

That’s something Zefi has missed out on. And he’s not alone.

Sport as a whole, not just football, has always asked young people to make difficult decisions early.

Tennis, in particular, is infamous for this. As Conor Niland details in his recent award-winning memoir The Racket, moving away from home before you’re old enough to drive is often the only way to access the coaching and competition needed to make it.

Football, especially pre-Brexit, was much the same for Irish players.

But there’s a growing case to be made that staying in Ireland – at least for longer – might now be the healthier and more productive path.

Mason Melia's decision to stay in the League of Ireland has paid off with a move to Spurs

Take Mason Melia. He’s the current poster boy for what the League of Ireland can offer a gifted teenager.

Melia, still just 17, turned down European offers and instead committed himself to developing at home.

Regular minutes, consistent coaching, and a clear development plan paid off – culminating in a move to Tottenham which he will make at the end of this current season.

He hasn’t bypassed the traditional model - he’s simply delayed it. And crucially, he’s arrived in England better prepared, both physically and mentally.

More are following. Michael Noonan, Victor Ozhianvuna, Owen Elding and others in the LOI pipeline are getting real exposure in a professional league that – while far from perfect – provides a stage, a challenge, and a support network close to home.

The League of Ireland might be their best shot at reigniting a career

These are not empty minutes in reserve fixtures or youth tournaments in Italy or Germany. This is men’s football, competitive and demanding.

For scouts and clubs abroad, it’s compelling viewing and it’s offering young players exposure in a competitive league and in some instances in European competitions.

Which brings us back to Zefi. His journey isn’t over – far from it.

But for players like him who went abroad early, found themselves stalled, and now need to recalibrate, the League of Ireland might be their best shot at reigniting a career.

Playing regularly in a league that’s increasingly respected, covered, and scouted could do more for a player’s development – and visibility – than training behind closed doors in Serie A.

It’s not about slamming the door on dreams of Inter or Roma.

It’s about being realistic about what different environments offer, and recognising that home – in this case, the League of Ireland – can be a launchpad, not a consolation prize.

A straight line to success doesn’t exist.

Sometimes, as Zefi may now realise, the long way round is the only way forward.

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