FOOTIE sensation Mason Melia’s schoolboy club has hailed the hotshot’s record-breaking move to English Premier League side Spurs, saying: “We’re so proud.”
The transfer fee for the Ireland underage international is around €2 million upfront, potentially rising to €4.2 million – making the 17-year-old the most expensive League of Ireland player ever.
Wicklow whizzkid Melia will see out the 2025 League of Ireland season with St Patrick’s Athletic before linking up with the North London club in January.
And as the goalscorer’s record-breaking deal made headlines, the Irish clubs that helped mould the multi-million-euro transfer ace lined out to pay tribute to him.
Melia started off with local side Newtown Juniors in Wicklow, before moving to St Joseph’s Boys, the famed nursery in Dublin’s Sallynoggin paired with Bray Wanderers for League of Ireland purposes.
After representing Newtown, St Joseph’s Boys and Bray Wanderers as a youngster, Melia joined St Pats’ youth ranks in the summer of 2022 before breaking through into their senior team as a 15-year-old in 2023.
With Melia now heading for England’s top flight, Kevin Fitzgerald, General Manager at St Joseph’s AFC, today hailed the talented teenager’s history-making move.
He told the Irish Sun: “This is a great leap forward for Mason.”
The General Manager at St Joseph’s AFC recalled the “pleasure of seeing Mason in action” when the young prodigy was at the Bray Wanderers Academy at U13 and U15 level.
And Fitzgerald heaped praise on the coaches at St Joseph’s Boys and Bray Wanderers who helped Mason along the way.
St Joseph’s released pictures of videos of a young Mason with coaches Tommy Tallant and Jimmy Hackett discussing the importance of timing of forward runs.
And the club beamed: “Grassroots coaching at its best.
“To say we are delighted for Mason on his record-breaking transfer is an understatement.
“We wish him and his family the very best going forward with this life changing move.
‘REMARKABLE ACHIEVEMENT’
“Congratulations to all his former coaches in the club who have helped Mason along the way, you can be very proud of your contributions.
“Mason joins a long list of players who have come through the club to progress into professional football and doing that as well as providing community football teams is a remarkable achievement for our club and it’s volunteer coaches.
“With even better facilities the sky is the limit. Forward to the goal.”
