National League Scene: lThe financial difficulties afflicting most English Football League clubs in the wake of the ITV Digital collapse has inadvertently increased the backwash of Irish talent into the National League, fuelling debate on whether the game at the highest level here can, after all, offer a viable alternative for our fledgling professional footballers.

Young Irish players returning usually take some time to adjust to the fast and furious rigours of the National League. That's generally not been the case this season, however.

Many have flourished since arriving back in the summer, most notably at Cork City in the guise of John O'Flynn and George O'Callaghan. Damien Lynch at Bohemians, Barry Ferguson and Sean Dillon at Longford Town and UCD pair Alan Cawley and Hugh Davey have also resettled with relative ease.

Robert Doyle, who returned last year, has, given his chance at UCD, impressed to such an extent that he's broken into the Irish under-21 squad.

In an extension to the debate, Jason McGuinness of Bohemians and Shelbourne winger Wesley Houlihan, neither of whom has been away, have also been capped by Irish under-21 manager Don Givens this season, belying the notion that the game here can't nurture its young.

"My answer to that is a most definite yes," says former Irish international team manager Eoin Hand, the FAI's career guidance officer, to the question of whether the National League is a viable option to a career in the lower reaches of the English league.

"There are lads in England that I would actually encourage to come back and play in the National League. The standard of the game here is very good.

"There is much more money and thought going into it. It's much more professional now.

"The main thing young players coming home have to come to terms with is the fact they are coming from underage football into senior football. The transition is not that easy."

Smoothing a player's integration back into football here is the whole point of the REAP (Reinvention Education Appraisal Preparation) course set up through Hand at the FAI.

"It's an unfortunate thing to have to have there, but it's accepting that lads are coming back," said Hand of the initiative, a six-week course held pre-season catering for up to 15 players, that's one-third funded by the English PFA. "Ideally we'd like to get them before they go, but that's not going to happen with the lure of the game in England."

THE most illuminating difference our footballing diaspora has made on its return this season has been seen at Cork City where the team has been revitalised by prodigal talent who "didn't make it" in England. O'Flynn and O'Callaghan have won the first two player of the month awards as Liam Murphy's side have emerged again as real title contenders.

While many of the players returning have, after a settling in period, enhanced the senior game here, perhaps the surprising common denominator is that most of them have been greatly impressed by its standard.

"It's been a bit of a culture shock, really," says O'Callaghan, announced last week as the player of the month for August by the country's football writers. "I think it's a fantastic league. It's much tougher than I expected. I never realised how many good players there are in it," added the 23-year-old striker, home in his native Cork after seven years at Port Vale.

"I'm seeing players playing here and wonder why they are not playing at a higher level in England. The standard is similar to that you would find in the English Second Division.

"I believe that, the way the game is going in England, more and more young Irish players are going to come back home to make it an even better, stronger league.

"Players have nothing to fear by coming back because the standard is good.

"The only factor may be money. If there were better wages here then I don't think lads would go over in the first place."