Lee and Ireland set to take on the World
By Thomas Conway
Not yet an adult, seventeen year-old Roscrea starlet Brody Lee has already surpassed several milestones in his young, blossoming career. But representing the Republic of Ireland in a World Cup is surely his signature achievement to date.
There was little surprise when Lee, the mercurial striker who signed his first professional contract with Cork City during the summer, was named as part of Ireland under-17 manager Colin O’Brien’s 21-player squad for the tournament in Qatar starting next weekend.
Consequently, Lee will miss Cork City’s FAI Cup Final with Shamrock Rovers on November 9th, but that is a small price to pay. The Republic of Ireland have never qualified for an under-17 World Cup. This is an unmissable opportunity. And Lee is an indispensable member of this Ireland squad.
For the economy and society of Qatar, football is a gateway to a more prosperous, and perhaps socially progressive future. For the players of the 48 national teams descending on the Gulf this week, this World Cup is a gateway to the top level. Statistically at least some of the individuals who feature over these next three weeks will spend the coming decade and more capturing headlines at the very top of the game. Past participants in the under-17 World Cup include Barcelona and Spanish playmaker Pedri, Manchester City and England’s Phil Foden, and ex-Spurs and South Korean midfielder Son Heung-min, who now plays his football with Los Angeles FC.
The notion that Lee, an unassuming teenager from Roscrea, could reach those dizzy heights in the professional game seems wild. It would be unfair, and indeed hasty, to put those kinds of expectations on his young shoulders, but let there be no doubt, this guy is a special talent.
Lee, the son of Roscrea councillor Shane Lee, was fortunate. Right on his doorstep was one of North Tipp’s oldest and most established clubs. Everyone at Killavilla AFC is hopping with excitement. This World Cup is a big moment for Brody, but it is also a significant achievement for the club that shaped him. And for the coaches that shaped him, too.
One of those coaches, Shane Ryan, is hailed by many within the club as the man who had the most formative influence on Brody’s early footballing career. He was no late developer. His pace made him stand out, but so too his modest, gracious personality.
“He was always exceptional - really, really quick,” Shane recalls.
“And to boot, with that as well, probably one of the most polite and nicest kids I ever coached.”
He backs that characterisation up with an anecdote from a few years ago. Lee’s Killavilla under-13 side had just suffered defeat in a National Cup game in Limerick.
There was desolation in the dressing-room - tears, howls, the whole lot. Eventually things settled down and the players filtered out.
“I was left in the dressing-room on my own, sweeping the floor, and who comes back in only Brody, just to say, ‘thanks a million Shane, see you at training during the week.’ And that just kind of sums him up,” he says.
That humble persona probably helped Brody to handle the pressures of being a prodigious young talent. He flourished for ‘Villa underage, before making the jump to the Dublin District Schoolboy’s League (DDSL), signing for Belvedere FC. The DDSL is the place to be for any aspiring young footballer in this country, and Belvo’s youth system is well-regarded. Through its ranks have passed players like Richie Sadlier, Wes Hoolahan, and Matt Doherty.
Lee’s performances in that cut-throat arena eventually earned him a place in Shamrock Rovers academy. All the while he was cementing his place in Irish underage squads. He scored his first goal on his debut against Croatia in 2022.
His move to Cork City this summer was generally seen as the right one. While many young players still journey abroad to the UK and Europe, a growing chunk choose to remain in Ireland. For instance, twelve of this current Ireland squad are based in the League of Ireland. That may change following this tournament, which effectively acts as a shop window for scouts.
Ireland have been drawn in Group J, alongside Panama (November 5th @ 12.30pm, Irish time), Uzbekistan (November 8th @ 3.45pm), and Paraguay (November 11th @ 1.30pm). A place in the last-32 is not beyond reach. All games are being played in the city of Al-Rayyan, in a giant 250-hectare sports complex known as the “Aspire Zone”. The final, to be played in the Khalifa International Stadium - which hosted matches during the 2022 World Cup - will draw eyeballs from around the world but Ireland’s games will also be watched closely by a national audience. RTÉ will broadcast all three group games, raising the profile of the players in an age in which Irish football sorely needs some emerging stars.
Among those watching Lee and his teammates will be his teachers and friends from Coláiste Phobail Ros Cré. Principal Jack Flynn describes the seventeen year-old as a “fine young man” who is “well-liked by his peers.”
His achievements to date have been “extraordinary”, and this latest success (qualifying for a soccer World Cup) is a truly “unique achievement”, according to Mr. Flynn. The school would like to wish Brody and the squad “the very best of luck” over the coming weeks as they embark on their World Cup journey.
Back at Killavilla, anticipation has reached fever pitch. An event was held last Sunday evening in tribute to Brody, attended by family, friends and club members. Should the team do well, they will likely capture the imagination of the Irish public.
They enter this tournament under the radar, relatively speaking, but they could well emerge as national stars. Shane Ryan admits that the whole thing is kind of “surreal” - the fact that Lee will be out there playing at a World Cup.
But it will likely feel very real to them, once the whistle is blown and the action starts. For Ireland and for Lee, it is time to shine under the Arabian sun.