Irish Players in the Premier League 2013/14 and 2014/15

A recent piece on Newstalk's Off The Ball discussed the declining numbers of Irish players in the Premier League. This reminded me of the stats we compiled on players with at least one start in the PL since 2008/09 here: http://irish-abroad.appspot.com/Blog?id=7775354499853620436

Following the completion of the 2014/15 season last weekend, we've compiled the names of players with at least one start in 2013/14 and 2014/15. Surprisingly, one more Irish player made at least one start in the just completed season!

2013/14: 23
Robbie Brady, Ciaran Clark, Seamus Coleman, Damien Delaney, Damien Duff, Robert Elliot, Owen Garvan, Wes Hoolahan, Stephen Ireland, Shane Long, James McCarthy, Aiden McGeady, Paul McShane, David Meyler, Joey O'Brien, John O'Shea, Anthony Pilkington, Stephen Quinn, Steven Reid, Jonathan Walters, Keiren Westwood, Glenn Whelan, Marc Wilson

2014/15: 24
Robbie Brady, Ciaran Clark, Seamus Coleman, Damien Delaney, Richard Dunne, Robert Elliot, Darron Gibson, Shay Given, Jack Grealish, Reece Grego Cox, Stephen Ireland, Shane Long, David Meyler, James McCarthy, Aiden McGeady, Paul McShane, Joey O'Brien, John O'Shea, Stephen Quinn, Steven Reid, Jonathan Walters, Stephen Ward, Glenn Whelan, Marc Wilson

What does this mean for 2015/16? Brady, Dunne, Grego-Cox, Meyler, Quinn and Ward have all been relegated and, with Steven Reid's retirement, will mean at least seven less Irish starters. Will any of the promising young players at Manchester City, Liverpool or Everton get promoted to their respective senior sides? From the promoted sides, will Arter continue in Bournemouth's midfield, and can Eunan O'Kane force his way back into the first team picture at Dean Court after a solid start to 2014/15, but only three appearances since the turn of the year? At Watford, Tommie Hoban is a regular in the starting XI, and has been linked with a transfer to the Premier League in the past, but will Sean Murray (three starts in 2014/15, no appearances since early January) or Connor Smith (four unused substitute appearances) make an appearance in England's top division? Finally, Norwich City have returned to the top table, after only a single season in the Championship, defeating Middlesbrough 2-0 in the Play Off Final. Wes Hoolahan is an almost certain starter for the Canaries, but promising central defender Kyle Callan-McFadden, owner of an FA Youth Cup winner's medal was released after making only a single appearance in yellow.