Irish fans have been down on the quality of the national team for a while now, and although we aren't as good as in the past, a number of Irish players still ply their trade in the English top flight. We decided to look at which Irish players have made the best impact over the 36 games played so far this season. It isn't the most scientific look at their performance but statistics can tell us something about who did well.
Forwards
1. Shane Long- 8 goals, 6 assists and 1973 minutes played
Didn't play as much as he would have like but still came away with a decent goal/assists tally.
2. Jonathan Walters- 8 goals, 3 assists and 3140 minutes played
Took a lot of restraint not to let Walters plummet due to his two own goals and a missed penalty game against Chelsea. But this has been his best season to date so he deserves his place.
3. Noel Hunt- 2 goals, 0 assists, 960 minutes played
Had a poor season on a bad team and his inclusion on the list highlights the lack of quality strikers currently available to the national team.
Midfielders
1. Damien Duff- 2 goals, 7 assists and 2171 minutes played
Isn't available for the national squad anymore but that shouldn't take away from other solid season from Duffer.
2. James McCarthy- 3 goals, 3 assists and 3104 minutes played
His side may be going down but McCarthy was one of the brighter sparks for Wigan. He likes having the ball at his feet and is assured in possession. His performances this year in relegation were a bit like Roy Keane for Nottingham Forest in 1993.
3. Anthony Pilkington- 4 goals, 3 assists and 1987 minutes played
Pilkington had a very productive season for Norwich but will that be enough to force himself onto the national team?
4. Wes Hoolahan- 2 goals, 3 assists, and 2252 minutes played
His stats may not show it but when Hoolahan was on form he was one of Norwich's best performers.
5. James McClean- 2 goals, 4 assists and 2225 minutes played
Didn't quite last the whole course of the season and is currently making more headlines for how he uses his twitter account rather than for his performances.
Defenders
1. Seamus Coleman- 0 goals, 5 assists, 1985 minutes played, 2.3 tackles per game, 2 interceptions per game
Coleman is fast becoming one of Ireland's most dependable players.
2. John O'Shea- 2 goals, 4 assists, 2812 minutes played, 1.3 tackles per game and 2.1 interceptions per game
O'Shea was almost as productive in attack this year as he was in defence and his goal against Stoke on Monday could be what keeps his side up.
3. Ciaran Clark- 1 goal, 1 assist, 2498 minutes played, 1.3 tackles per game and 2.3 interceptions per game
A bit unlucky not to be higher on the list, Clark started more league games this season than in any other. Villa's survival bodes well for his future development.
4. Joey O'Brien- 2 goals, 4 assists, 2542 minutes played, 1.6 tackles per game and 0.9 interceptions per gameI
Ireland doesn't have many players that regularly contribute to a Premier League side so O'Brien's displays this season have flown under the radar a bit. Probably his most productive season to date.
5. Marc Wilson- 0 goals, 0 assists, 1379 minutes played, 3 tackles per game and 1.8 interceptions per game
He didn't do much going forward but no one really does for Stoke. His defence stats read impressively enough though.
