While the traditional route for aspiring young Irish footballers was to move to the UK as a teenager, that path is likely to become far less common in the years ahead. As a result of Brexit, players are prohibited from moving to British clubs until they are 18-years old, unless they hold a British passport.
This has resulted in quite a shift in Irish football. Whereas a large portion of players would previously make the move at 16, many of them are now opting to remain with League of Ireland teams for a longer period of time.
For those who do want to move at a younger age, they have started to look further afield.
Quite a few players from this country have moved to club on the continent over the last couple of years. The moves of Kevin Zefi and Cathal Herffernan to Inter Milan and AC Milan respectively are two of the more high profile examples but they are far from the only ones.
Cork City youngster set for move to Germany
It appears as though another emerging talent could be set to join that list.
The Irish Independent reported earlier today that Cork City's Matthew Moore is set to join Bundesliga club Hoffenheim this summer. The club themselves would confirm the news soon after.
Cork City FC can confirm that the club has reached an agreement with Hoffenheim for Matthew Moore to join the German side.
Full story 👇🏼#CCFC84 || #CCFCAcademy— Cork City FC (@CorkCityFC) April 3, 2023
It is reported that the League of Ireland side are set to a 'five-figure sum' as a well as the inclusion of bonus clauses in the deal.
Moore, a 16-year old midfielder, has represented Ireland up to U16 level and captained the side during their Victory Shield campaign last year, as well as against Switzerland back in February.
Germany is an intriguing destination, with many Bundesliga clubs keen to progress players through their youth sides and into first team. Hoffenheim are among the most prolific sides in the division in this regard, something that is sure to have played a part in the player's decision to join the club.
It will be interesting to see how it plays out for him.
SEE ALSO: 10 Former Ireland Players You Might Not Know Have Moved Into Coaching
