The new Premier League season kicks off this Friday evening when Liverpool welcome newly-promoted Norwich City to Anfield. For the first time in at least a decade, it seems that there will be a distinctive Irish flavour to the upcoming season.
Exciting young talent plus the promotion of Sheffield United and Aston Villa means there'll be a legitimate Irish influx in England's top flight this season, with an Ireland player represented in more than half of the Premier League's clubs. We count 18 Irish players who'll be involved in Premier League squads.
Beyond established regulars like Seamus Coleman, Shane Duffy and Jeff Hendrick, Irish players will be front and centre for the likes of Sheffield United as they look to remain in the Premier League.
The future is bright as well. Over the summer, Mark Travers has emerged as Bournemouth's likely first-choice goalkeeper while Troy Parrott and Adam Idah look likely to lurk around the fringes of the Spurs and Norwich squads and could see playing time if either club is saddled with injury.
Here's the full list of Irish players in the Premier League for the upcoming season. We have also split the players into three categories: starters, regular playing time as squad players (squad), players who will be low on game time (reserve).
Aston Villa
Conor Hourihane (starter/squad)
Bournemouth
Mark Travers (starter)
Brighton
Shane Duffy (starter)
Burnley
Jeff Hendrick (starter), Robbie Brady (squad), Kevin Long (reserve)
Everton
Seamus Coleman (starter), James McCarthy (reserve)
Liverpool
Caoimhin Kelleher (reserve)
Norwich
Adam Idah (reserve)
Sheffield United
Enda Stevens (starter), John Egan (starter), Callum Robinson (starter), David McGoldrick (squad)
Spurs
Troy Parrott (reserve/squad)
Southampton
Shane Long (squad), Michael Obafemi (squad)
Wolves
Matt Doherty (starter)
A few of these are still uncertain. Troy Parrott and Adam Idah could yet feature as squad members at Spurs and Norwich respectively.
David McGoldrick is likely to be consigned to a role off the bench after Sheffield United signed Callum Robinson and Ollie McBurnie, and while Mark Travers is favourite to start at Bournemouth, that position could still be handed to Asmir Begovic.
