Alex O'Hanlon (St Kevins Boys Club)

Liverpool snap up Irish football's top starlet

Published 23:00 18/05/11
By David Maddock

Liverpool have beaten Europe’s top clubs to land Ireland’s most highly-regarded teenager.

Alex O’Hanlon, 15, is a product of the St Kevins Boys Club in Dublin, which produced Arsenal legend Liam Brady and Fulham and Ireland winger Damien Duff.

O’Hanlon, a midfielder, has spent time with Real Madrid and Chelsea and was courted by Manchester United and Arsenal, but Liverpool won the race for O’Hanlon after boss Kenny Dalglish met him and his parents.

The Ireland youth international’s arrival confirms the club’s intention to pursue top young talent.

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Transfer-news-Liverpool-have-beaten-likes-of-Manchester-United-Real-Madrid-to-midfielder-Alex-O-Hanlon-most-highly-regarded-teenager-in-Ireland-article737919.html

Delighted for him. Imagine Kenny arriving to your house to finalise the deal Good luck kid

best of luck to the kid.....good to see we have landed such a highly regarded player

so I take it were done for the summer?

LIVERPOOL IN RAID FOR SMART ALEX, 15

Thursday May 19,2011
By Paul Joyce

LIVERPOOL’S commitment to recruiting the best young talent has been underlined further by the signing of Irish starlet Alex O’Hanlon.

Schoolboy O’Hanlon, 15, plays for Dublin’s fabled St Kevin’s Boys’ Club which launched the career of Liam Brady as well as Damien Duff, Stephen Carr and Ian Harte.

The left-back is rated as one of the most exciting talents to emerge from Ireland in years and has caused a stampede of interest among England’s elite, having spent time at Chelsea, Arsenal and Everton.

Manchester United hoped to sign him, having previously lured teenager Robert Brady from St Kevin’s. Brady, 19, no relation to Liam, was an unused substitute for United’s 3-2 Carling Cup win over Wolves in October but Liverpool have stolen a march on their rivals for a player who has been likened to Tottenham’s Gareth Bale.

O’Hanlon has visited Liverpool’s training ground Melwood and St Kevin’s will receive compensation in accordance with UEFA’s guidelines, which will rise depending on progress.

Suggestions they could net as much as £2million have been dismissed, but Brendan Bermingham, secretary of St Kevin’s Boys’ Club, said: “He is very highly thought of. He’s an excellent full-back and hopefully he might turn out like Gareth Bale.

“He’s got a really good attitude, quiet and unassuming. He’s just football, football, football.”

Liverpool chairman Tom Werner stressed on Sunday’s flying visit to Merseyside for the game with Tottenham the importance of a strong academy set-up.

The emergence of Jonathan Flanagan, Martin Kelly, Jay Spearing and Jack Robinson has been a major plus point and Raheem Sterling, 16, and Connor Coady, 18, are set for first-team squad places next season.

http://www.express.co.uk/football/view/247584/Liverpool-in-raid-for-smart-Alex-15

Keep them coming Kenny

Sounds like a good prospect, hope he shines here.  Well in Kenny and welcome to LFC Alex!  Spent time with Real and Chelski according to that article, and scum and the arse were interested in him.  But he chose us, clever boy!

What is his position though?  Mirror article says MF and Express says LB 

What is his position though?  Mirror article says MF and Express says LB 

The Gareth Bale comparison would suggest that he is a left-sided player ...

What is his position though?  Mirror article says MF and Express says LB 

I'd take the quote from the Secretary from St Kevin's as the gospel over the mirror. He says Alex is a fullback.

Welcome aboard, Alex!

The emergence of Jonathan Flanagan, Martin Kelly, Jay Spearing and Jack Robinson has been a major plus point and Raheem Sterling, 16, and Connor Coady, 18, are set for first-team squad places next season.

Since when is Flanagan named Jonathan?
Alos I've read somewhere that O'Hanlon is a Manure fan, a little bit worried about that.

If he is 15, who knows what position he could end up.

Hope Sterling do get a chance at some point next season. Maybe in the Europa League if we get it on the last day.

Welcome to the club Alex look forward to seeing you in the youth team next season.

Interesting news. Good luck to the lad. Hope we can get a few more Irish players in order to keep the links .

MF/LB confusion = attacking LB?

Welcome to LFC!

Bale started as a left back so maybe the comparison is valid.

Hope to see Alex in our first team in years to come.

Alos I've read somewhere that O'Hanlon is a Manure fan, a little bit worried about that.

Well, it could have been worse ... Imagine if he was a boyhood Everton fan ...

Guessing he is a left back, only because of the number 3 on his pictures.

Left wingback. That's why he's getting the early Bale comparisons.
Could end up like Silva. He was a right wingback when we signed him and now plays right wing.

We do have a few left backs coming through the system now then with Smith and Robinson aswell as this lad if he is that much of a prospect.

Alos I've read somewhere that O'Hanlon is a Manure fan, a little bit worried about that.

Weren't Rio Ferdinand, O'Shea and Solskjaer Liverpool fans?!

Welcome to Liverpool Alex now get the head down and hopefully we will see you in the first team for years to come

Best of luck. Welcome to the big show!

Wouldnt look to much into it. He is only fifteen dunno how many players of that fell by the way side. I remember playing against a fifteen year old irish wonderkid who had just signed for liverpool. Richie partridge remember him. I suppose it is good to see the club targetting young players