Ireland under 21 international Jack Byrne is currently on loan at Dutch club SC Cambuur from English giants Manchester City.
The highly rated Dubliner was rewarded with a new contract at Manchester City over the Summer before being sent to Holland to earn some vital first team experiences.
The level headed youngster was speaking on Off The Ball last night where he was discussing his rise through the Manchester City academy as well life at his new club in Holland.
Byrne left Dublin when he was only fifteen and he's been living in England ever since and although he's a very mentally strong young footballer, he admitted that it can be tough leaving home so early.
For an inner City boy from Dublin to move to Manchester, it isn't that different, Dublin and Manchester are big Cities.
But moving to this city is completely different, Holland is completely different.
The young midfielder was always confident that moving to Holland would be the right decision.
I'm playing big games, in front of sell out crowds and it's great. When I sat down with my family and Man City I didn't think it's Holland it's going to be different, it's going to be scary, I just took that challenge and said I'm going to be playing against Ajax in the Amsterdam Arena.
Whilst Byrne said he was able to deal with the challenge, he also admitted to suffering from Homesickness, mentioning that it was just something he's had to learn to live with.
It [homesickness] never really goes to be honest, you're always missing out on little family events and friends birthdays and events, but you just get older and you learn to deal with it.
You don't go and cry in your room like you would when your 15, you might stay a bit longer on the training ground and keep yourself busy.
Byrne was fortunate enough to receive a 5 year contract off City at the age of 15 which gave him a lot of comfort and peace of mind compared to many other young players who were not so lucky.
It was new for me at the time, but I was lucky I got a 5 year contract and that gave me time to settle in and get over the homesickness.
A lot of kids will go over aged 16 on a scholarship and might be back home after two years, and that's difficult for them because they don't have that time.
He also made the point that most young footballers suffer from homesickness as it can be tough to keep yourself occupied when you're away from family and friends.
That's a tough thing to do, to keep yourself busy. When you're finished training at one or two o'clock and you're at home, you have be professional too, you don't want to be doing the wrong things either.
Byrne comes across as a very driven and determined young man and he looks destined to have a bright future in the game. The hierarchy at Manchester City already hold him in high regard and he may even force his way into Martin O'Neill's plans with a few good performances in Holland.
