Lincoln City FC abú ... English side in search of Irish talent with a difference
The English fourth tier side is on a recruitment drive for Irish talent - by hiring an Irish language tutor to help any young footballers from this side of the water study for the Leaving Certificate.
The Red Imps are currently top of League Two but even more eye-catching is its advertisement posted this week seeking a part-time personal tutor in Irish for the club academy.
"The purpose of this is to teach a Scholar the Irish Language as part of their Leaving Certificate from September 2019 for approximately 4 hours/week," the advert said.
Academy vacancy - Irish speaking tutor required#ImpsAsOnehttps://t.co/4hgzcBz74T
— Lincoln City FC 🇺🇦 (@LincolnCity_FC) February 15, 2019
According to the club's head of football, Jez George, the novel approach is part of the club's ambitious attempts to recruit young Irish talent, in what could be seen as the least Brexity development of the week.
"We are a progressive and ambitious football club and have made great strides in the last few years," Jez said. "All we are trying to do is spread the net a little wider."
While giants like Liverpool and Manchester United can tend to the needs of their players with ease, drafting in a tutor with a cupla focal is a different prospect for a lower league club, but with attendances regularly topping 10,000, Lincoln has upped the ante on its rivals by teaming up with a private school to help facilitate studying for the Leaving Cert for any new Irish recruits.
"It sounds fairly ambitious but if you only ask for whatever everyone else is asking for, you only get what everyone else is getting," Mr George said, adding that Lincoln wants to edge ahead of other clubs below the top level in the footballing pecking order.
"We want to be a little bit more innovative," he said, adding that drafting in an Irish language tutor might mean any Irish youngster doesn't face the dilemma of going all-in for a professional career by sacrificing a second level education. "There is no industry as uncertain as football," he added.
The club has already boosted its Irish quotient through the signing of Celbridge native Cian Bolger last month from Fleetwood Town.
As for anyone interested in the vacancy, they can send a CV to the club's Head of Education at toby.ellis@lincolncityfc.co.uk.
Who knows, if they bag a few trophies in future maybe the famous phrase "tá an-áthas orm an corn seo a ghlacadh" might make an appearance?
