Jack Byrne has been in sensational form at club level over the last couple of years, but there is a sense that he will not make a genuine international breakthrough while he is a League of Ireland player.
You can certainly argue that this shouldn't be the case, but both Mick McCarthy and Stephen Kenny have seemed hesitant to use him while he plies his trade in Ireland's domestic league.
Byrne's contract at Shamrock Rovers is up at the end of the season, leading to plenty of speculation about his future. While the league champions would no doubt like to keep him in Tallaght, the player himself could look at moving on for the reasons mentioned above.
A return to English football has been mooted, with the likes of Bournemouth and Stoke City linked. However, it has now been reported that Byrne could go even further afield.
Both the Irish Sun and Irish Independent are reporting that Jack Byrne is considering a move to Cypriot club APOEL Nicosia, where he would link up with former Ireland boss Mick McCarthy.
McCarthy was appointed as manager at the club last month, winning three of his five matches in charge so far. While APOEL are the most successful club in Cyprus, they currently sit in ninth place in the 14-team league. However, they did win the league title last season.
This is certainly a big decision for Byrne. If he does decide to leave Shamrock Rovers, he needs to go to a club where he will play regularly and one that will play to his strengths.
APOEL would certainly give him regular playing time, but the Cypriot league may not be a huge step above the League of Ireland. It will certainly be interesting to see what move he makes next.
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