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Mason Melia joined up with the Ireland U-21’s squad at the Carlton Hotel Blanchardstown ahead of Friday’s qualifier. Photo: Tyler Miller/Sportsfile
The League of Ireland’s first million-euro export Mason Melia insists that domestic academies need Government funding if clubs are to produce more players like him in the future.
The Government will unveil Budget 2026 tomorrow with League of Ireland academies hoping for good news to help improve facilities and coaching numbers across the country in a post-Brexit environment. Last month, the FAI lodged their pre-budget submission looking for an initial €4.45m per annum for two years for 81 new jobs across clubs, before a jump to €8m per year with the aim of creating 340 full and part-time jobs to develop the next generation of football talent.