How the odds are stacked against young players; Leinster set for big financial hit

It will come as no shock to most that, for young players looking to make it in the ruthless world of professional football in England, the numbers are stacked heavily against them. But just how heavily? In the third part of his series on youth development in Ireland, Emmet Malone looks at just how slim the chances are of making it to the big time. One man who did make the grade all those years ago and who is now looking forward to working alongside Stephen Kenny in the Ireland senior set-up is Keith Andrews. The 39-year-old has had coaching on his mind since his playing days and has received many plaudits for his work alongside Kenny at the under-21s. Now the question is whether the pair can recreate that with the senior team.

The question of when sport of any kind will recommence in Ireland is about as hard to answer as any other question about coronavirus but there is some hope that at least small scale sport could be back underway soon. Speaking to this newspaper yesterday, Professor Sam McConkey of the Royal College of Surgeons said that golf clubs could reopen "relatively safely" when some restrictions may be lifted after May 5th while other sports such as single-handed sailing and horse racing also stand a good chance. Also on the subject of golf, Pádraig Harrington spoke to Philip Reid yesterday about staying ahead of the curve and how sports science has allowed him to do so over his career. Harrington is a client of Irish company Orreco and he believes advances in sports science allow him to get the best out of his body.

On to rugby and Leinster could be set for a big financial hit if their vintage unbeaten season is never finished. Having this weekend's derby against Munster fall by the wayside, as well as the Champions Cup quarter-final with Saracens, the province look set to be down €1.5 million and the money just keeps stacking up the further you look into it, as Gerry Thornley writes.

It's now 15 years since the famous 2005 Ashes series when England turned over Australia over what was a seminal summer for sport and it is that famous victory in Edgbaston which is the subject of our favourite sporting moment series this morning. With just a small television in a box room in Mayo to keep track of the action on, Patrick Madden remembers the joyous scenes at the end as Freddie Flintoff pulled England over the line.

Leinster set for big financial hit if vintage season unfinished

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Fields of broken dreams: How the odds are stacked against youth players

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Golf clubs could reopen ‘relatively safely,’ says Prof Sam McConkey

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Keith Andrews has earned his stripes and is ready for Ireland’s new era

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In GAA, Seán Moran remembers Fr Tom Scully and his impact on Offaly football during their All-Ireland successes in the early 1970s while Eamon Donoghue speaks to former Offaly hurler Brian Donoghue about starting his own podcast and the market itself which is currently thriving during the pandemic.