Fleetwood Town manager Charlie Adam has heaped praise on Ireland under-21 star Bosun Lawal as well as the former League of Ireland players in his squad.
The League One club suffered a 2-1 defeat at home to Barnsley on Saturday but Ireland under-21 international Bosun Lawal caught the headlines with a fine strike to level the match on the half-hour mark.
The Celtic loanee lined up beside fellow Irishman Gavin Kilkenny in central midfield, and there was a significant former League of Ireland presence further up the field, as central striker Ronan Coughlan was flanked by Ryan Graydon and Promise Omochere.
The acquisition of Coughlan in January stemmed from Fleetwood's multi-club partnership with Waterford, and the 2023 SSE Airtricity First Division top scorer is joined in the dressing room by fellow ex-Blues Phoenix Patterson and Junior Quitirna.
Speaking after Saturday's defeat, Adam confirmed that Fleetwood are very satisfied with their dips into the League of Ireland market, and will continue to look across the Irish Sea for talent this summer.
👌 Some effort from the @ftfc loanee!#EFL | #SkyBetLeagueOne pic.twitter.com/s7z9LJTU0m
— Sky Bet League One (@SkyBetLeagueOne) February 18, 2024
Charlie Adam on his League of Ireland talent
"They're really good, that's why we invest in it [the LOI]," said the ex-Liverpool midfielder. "That's why we go over, that's why we have the partnership with Waterford. We believe that there are good players there, we've done some good business there.
"Ultimately, these lads deserve their opportunity. Graydon has worked hard, he was injured when I first came in, he deserves his opportunity. Ronan's come in, since I've been in the building he's been incredible.
"He deserves the opportunity to stay in the team, his energy, his enthusiasm to really run for the team is incredible but technically, he's a good player as well and can score a goal.
"They have to develop, they have to learn but that's our job as the coaches to make them better and to become big assets for the football club going forward. It's a market we look at and we'll look at the market in the summer as well."
First start since November for @R_Graydon99 - good to see you back out there 👏#OnwardTogether pic.twitter.com/tXM2BPrbSw
— Fleetwood Town FC (@ftfc) February 17, 2024
Bosun Lawal impresses Charlie Adam
Adam was equally impressed with Lawal, whose long-range strike on Saturday gave the manager hope of picking up his third win since taking charge on New Year's Eve.
"He was the best player on the pitch," said Adam. "Unfortunately, he's not out player, he's a Celtic player but it's a real privilege to have him. He's a quality player, he dominated the game. His strength, his power and it was an unbelievable strike.
"The longer he's in the building for us, from now until the end of the season, he will definitely make a difference to our team. He's a top talent but hopefully with the journey we're on and the support that we can give him, that he goes back to Celtic next season and he goes and competes for a position, because I believe he's got the right credentials to be a Celtic player."
Forefront on the mind of Adam and his players though will be ensuring that the club preserves its League One status, as they are now second from bottom of the table and six points from safety.
You can listen to Adam's comments on the Lawal and his League of Ireland stars in the below video, from around the 2.30 mark.
See Also: Damien Duff Gives Passionate League Of Ireland Speech On Opening Night
