Three Irish players have been selected for the EFL Team of 2016. The team is comprised of the Best XI players from across the Football League in the calendar year, excluding the Premier League.
Picking a team across three divisions is a precarious business and necessarily involves discounting the quality of opposition in the case of League Two players. But the EFL have done it anyway.
Keiren Westwood is the only one of the trio selected to have been capped for Ireland.
The Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper enjoyed a tremendous 2016, eventually breaking into the Euro 2016 at the eleventh hour, at the expense of David Forde.
Wednesday are currently hovering around the playoff spots in the Championship - though admittedly a lot of teams have designs on a playoff spot at this stage of the season. Westwood is in with a good shout of playing Premier League football next season.
As part of the three man defence is John Egan, the Cork born Brentford defender and son of the former Kerry legend of the same name. Egan has notched three games for Brentford in the Championship this season and hasn't missed a game yet this season. An international call-up surely cannot be far away.
We dip into League Two to find the third Irish player selected. Dubliner Graham Carey hit 11 goals from midfield for Plymouth Argyle last season. They missed promotion after falling to AFC Wimbledon in the playoff final.
A creative and attacking midfielder, the 27 year old Carey is known to Bohemians fans after his loan spell there seven years ago. He was part of the Bohs side which completed a back-to-back League triumph in 2009.
That's the last of the Republic of Ireland players but the notoriously flammable Will Grigg has earned a spot up front. While his influence at Euro 2016 didn't extend beyond being the focus of that chant, he had a smashing season for Wigan in 2015-16. He racked up a tally of 25 goals in League One, helping his team to promotion. He has played less frequently in the Championship this season.
Here it is! ⚽️?
The 11 players and a manager that make up our #EFL Team of 2016 >> https://t.co/XPI6cgD9HJ. pic.twitter.com/4C5w2BGuDv
— EFL (@EFL) December 30, 2016
