Shamrock Rovers boss Stephen Bradley has launched fierce criticism of agents who push Irish teenagers to leave the League of Ireland too early, after Victor Ozhianvuna’s record-breaking transfer to Arsenal was confirmed.
The 16-year-old midfielder will join the Gunners in January 2027, when he turns 18, in a deal worth an initial €2 million that could rise above €4 million with add-ons, a move Bradley calls “the template” for doing it the right way.
The deal, which includes a significant sell-on clause, eclipses the fee Tottenham are paying for Mason Melia, who will join from St Patrick’s Athletic in January.
Under post-Brexit regulations, Irish players cannot move to British clubs before they turn 18, but they can transfer to teams in mainland Europe. Bradley believes agents are exploiting that loophole to the detriment of young players.
“They’re getting really poor advice, the large majority. Really poor advice,” he said. “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?’”
Bradley argued that many young Irish footballers are being lured abroad by false promises. “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.”
He added: “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 joined Arsenal himself as a teenager, and sees Ozhianvuna’s approach as a model for others to follow.
“Victor trusts us, which is important,” he said. “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.”
Ozhianvuna, who has made 16 senior appearances for Shamrock Rovers, will stay in Dublin until the end of 2026 before completing his move to north London.
Bradley believes the deal is a landmark moment for the domestic game. “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.”
He added that the midfielder’s development will benefit from staying longer in senior football before taking the next step. “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.”
Ozhianvuna is a right-footed midfielder who often operates from the left.