Promoted to the first team squad by Gerard Houllier last season, Potter was given his senior debut by Rafael Benitez on Tuesday, coming on as a sub in the Champions League win away to Graz AK.
DARREN POTTER (Liverpool)
The 19-year-old midfielder, already an Irish under-21 international, joined Liverpool after being let go by Everton when he was 15 and is one of the most highly regarded young players at Anfield - he signed a new contract last month, one that will keep him at the club until 2007. A loan spell might still be his best chance of regular first team football this season but he will have been encouraged by Benitez's early show of faith in his abilities.
LEON BEST (Southampton)
It's early days yet for the powerful 17-year-old striker but an impressive pre-season, that earned the praise of manager Paul Sturrock, added to his prolific goal-scoring for the under-19 Southampton side last season, could see him given a chance sooner than he might expect - especially if James Beattie is sold.
Hard-up Notts County could do with the Irish under-19 international making a breakthrough this season - they were forced to sell Best to Southampton (for £50,000, with a 20 per cent sell-on clause) in March of last year but that figure will rise significantly with first-team appearances. They will watch his progress with interest, as will their bank manager.
STEPHEN KELLY (Spurs)
The Dubliner has already made his breakthrough at Spurs, making 11 first-team appearances last season after loan spells with Southend, QPR and Watford. The departure of Stephen Carr to Newcastle could see him establish himself as Spurs' first-choice right back in the new campaign. Mauricio Taricco will be his main rival for the position, unless Spurs act on their rumoured interest in Steve Finnan. The 21-year-old won his first senior international call-up when he was named in the squad for the friendly against the Czech Republic last season.
JONATHAN DOUGLAS (Blackburn)
It's almost four years since Douglas, now 23, made his Blackburn debut but a cruciate knee injury put him out of the game for a year and he has been steadily catching up since his return. The midfielder, from Clones, had loan spells at Chesterfield and Blackpool but was given a 14-game run in the first team by manager Graeme Souness when he returned to Blackburn last January. His form earned him two senior international caps, his debut coming against Poland in April, and a new contract that will keep him at Ewood Park until the summer of 2007.
MARK YEATES (Spurs)
Given his first-team debut by David Pleat at the end of last season. Yeates, who can play in midfield or up front, was rewarded last month with a new three-year contract at the club. Along with Willo Flood at Manchester City the 19-year-old from Tallaght is amongst the most gifted of Irish prospects in the Premiership but, like Flood, may need another loan spell this season to get regular first-team football. He played 10 games for Brighton in the last campaign where manager Mark McGhee concluded: "there is absolutely no doubt this boy is going to be a player."
Senior Irish Squad Players: Stephen Carr: Spurs to Newcastle, undisclosed. Nick Colgan: Hibernian to Barnsley, free. David Connolly: West Ham to Leicester City, £500,000. Ian Harte: Leeds United to Levante, Spain, free. Mark Kinsella: West Brom to Walsall, free. Jason McAteer: Sunderland to Tranmere, free. Stephen McPhail: Leeds to Barnsley, free. Liam Miller: Celtic to Manchester United, free. Alan Quinn: Sheffield Wednesday to Sheffield United, free. Graham Stack: Arsenal to Millwall, loan. Others: Brian Barry-Murphy: Sheffield Wednesday to Bury, free. Paul Butler: Wolves to Leeds, free. Barry Conlon: Darlington to Barnsley, free. Colin Cryan: Sheffield United to Scarborough, free. Kieron Durkan: Swansea to Runcorn, free. Stephen Elliott: Manchester City to Sunderland, free. Scott Fitzgerald: Colchester to Brentford free. Curtis Fleming: Crystal Palace to Darlington, free. Richie Foran: Carlisle to Motherwell, free. Derek Geary: Sheffield Wednesday to Stockport, free. Paul Heffernan: Notts County to Bristol City, £125,000. Wayne Henderson: Aston Villa to Notts County, loan. Michael Keane: Preston to Hull, free. Joe Kendrick: 1860 Munich to Darlington, free. Alan Kernaghan: Clyde (player/manager) to Livingston (assistant manager). Dwayne Mattis: Huddersfield to Bury, free. JJ Melligan: Wolves to Cheltenham, £25,000. Michael Reddy: Sunderland to Grimsby, free. Robbie Ryan: Millwall to Bristol Rovers, free. Graham Ward: Kidderminster to Cheltenham, free. Glen Whelan: Manchester City to Sheffield Wednesday, free.
