Advertisement League of Ireland Horse Racing TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Sport meets news, current affairs, society & pop culture Rugby Weekly Extra Dive into all the news and analysis 3 times a week The Football Family Weekly insights from the week’s big talking points Advertisement More Stories mark your cards 5 key Irish storylines to follow as the new Championship season gets underway Some big names return from long-term injury, Alan Sheehan aims to satisfy Swansea fan demand, while Louie Barry and Bosun Lawal target breakout seasons. 7.01am, 9 Aug 2025 Share options Gavin Cooney WITH THE CHAMPIONSHIP returning this weekend, here are some of the main storylines worth following from an Irish perspective. 1) Long-term injury absentees return Chiedozie Ogbene.Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Chiedozie Ogbene and Gavin Bazunu were once among the first names on any Irish teamsheet submitted by Stephen Kenny, but injury ravages mean they have some distance to travel to retain undisputed status under Heimir Hallgrimsson. Ogbene moved to Ipswich a year ago to retain Premier League status in lieu of Luton Town, but then had his season ended in October, suffering an achilles injury against Brentford. Ogbene had surgery and took up meditation to aid his lengthy lay-off, but returned to action for Ipswich in pre-season. Kieran McKenna was still publicly lamenting Ogbene’s injury months later, and thus will be grateful for his return as Ipswich aim for an instant return to the Premier League. In his absence, Ireland turned primarily to Festy Ebosele and Mikey Johnston, but given Hallgrimsson’s demands of the newly-hybrid right-side role – right of a 4-4-2 without the ball; closer to a wing back in-possession – Ogbene is perfectly-tailored and will likely be back in favour very soon. Bazunu, by contrast, may find himself as Ireland’s number two for quite a while, given Caoimhín Kelleher’s exceptional form for club and country. Bazunu suffered the same achilles injury as Ogbene in April 2024, which meant he missed the first half of Southampton’s risible Premier League return. Given the Saints signed Aaron Ramsdale in his absence, Bazunu spent the second half of last season on loan at Standard Liege, which was then ended early with a knee injury that contributed to his absence from the Irish squad in June. But with Southampton back in the Championship, Bazunu is again fit and first-choice, with Ramsdale decamping for Newcastle. “Gavin’s done really well”, said his new club boss Will Still last week, “and I think as long as he’s been as good as he is, he’ll play. The best players will play.” Advertisement 2) Alan Sheehan gets his feet under the desk Alan Sheehan.Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Chalk this down as a headline Alan Sheehan can’t have imagined reading when he was growing up in Athlone: Alan Sheehan says Swansea plan to build on buzz of Snoop Dogg becoming co-owner Snoop and Luka Modric are among the celebrity investors who have taken a tiny slice at Swansea, where the coaching keys have now been entrusted to Sheehan on a permanent basis. The former U21 international took temporary charge of the club last season and led them away from the peril of relegation, finishing 11th. Given Swansea were the third most in-form team in the league during his interim stint, he has unsurprisingly been given the gig full-time. Swansea have reinforced defensively during the transfer window, but their signature arrival has been winger Zeidane Inoussa, signed from Swedish club BK Hacken. His success may be vital to Sheehan’s long-term prospects: the club is still labouring underneath the memories of life under Roberto Martinez and Brendan Rodgers, where they married success with a progressive style of play. Many fans still hark for that playing style, even amid turbulent years where it was unrealistic. Sheehan will ultimately have to satisfy that demand, even if it seems unfair. 3) What next for Finn Azaz? Finn Azaz.Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Azaz last season hit double figures for both goals and assists for Middlesbrough, and made a significant international breakthrough while he was at it. He subsequently made no secret of his Premier League ambitions, with Crystal Palace linked with his transfer. Azaz, however, remains at ‘Boro as the season kicks off, albeit sidelined until the end of August through injury. As to whether he makes his return from that injury in a Middlesbrough jersey, we must wait and see. Hallgrimsson would like Azaz to be playing at the highest level, but with World Cup qualifiers against Hungary and Armenia only a month away, the Irish manager would likely now settle for Azaz getting match sharp in the Championship. 4) The next generation Bosun Lawal.Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo While the Championship has proved to be a generous home to many well-established Irish internationals, it has also incubated a few breakout talents over the years. Who will be next to emerge? Rocco Vata at Watford can already be said to have made his breakthrough, but will seek this season to kick on and further develop physically. His team-mate James Abankwah is another to watch, albeit his Cup-winning exploits for St Pat’s means the Irish public is better-acquainted with him than the general English audience. Another to watch is Bosun Lawal at Stoke City, called up as late cover to the Irish senior squad for that June friendly with Luxembourg you’ve already forgotten about. Lawal is of a midfield profile – a big lad, effectively – that Ireland are sorely lacking, so Hallgrimsson will be eager to see him rack up minutes at Championship level in central midfield. The latter part of that wish is key: Mark Robins has selected Lawal at centre-half, the position in which Hallgrimsson is tripping over high-calibre options. (As an aside: there’s further Irish interest at Stoke in the boardroom, where Jon Walters is the sporting director. Or he is for now, at least, as he’s a rumoured candidate to replace Marc Canham at the FAI.) Another name to watch is Louie Barry at Sheffield United. You might be familiar with Barry’s youth career: after 10 years in the West Brom academy, he went to Barcelona, only to return to England with Aston Villa within a year for an initial fee of approximately €1 million. A Covid outbreak offered him a first-team debut against Liverpool in the FA Cup – he scored in defeat and Jurgen Klopp called him a “little Jamie Vardy” – and has since bounced about on loan, excelling last season at Stockport. A subsequent loan move to Hull did not become permanent amid the club’s transfer embargo, but Barry has now been taken on loan by Sheffield United by his old manager at Hull, Ruben Selles. Barry played for England at underage level but is understood to be both eligible and interested in representing Ireland, facts with which Hallgrimsson is acquainted. 5) James McClean’s return James McClean.Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Wrexham’s seemingly unstoppable rise through English football has reached its Championship phase, and with it brings a return to wider prominence for James McClean, who is club captain. McClean dropped as low as League Two to initially sign for Wrexham, which then-Irish manager Stephen Kenny admitted was “not ideal in the long term.” McClean said he felt disrespected to have been left out of a squad by Kenny, and thus Kenny’s final match in charge was also celebrated as a farewell for McClean. That farewell may not be permanent. Hallgrimsson openly suggested the possibility of a McClean return, something to which the player himself is understood to be open. Performing at Championship level is certainly no barrier to his selection, and nor are Ireland’s depth of options at left-back. With Ryan Manning now preferred further forward, the options are Robbie Brady – one of Ireland’s most important players – and Callum O’Dowda, both of whom are injury-prone. McClean, by contrast, is remarkably durable. It’s one to watch. 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