Mason Melia (Lincoln City)Lincoln City unveil new loan signing Mason Melia from Tottenham. Photograph: Chris Vaughan/Getty Mason Melia is following the career path of Troy Parrott, who also signed for Tottenham Hotspur as a teenager. Parrott had four miserable experiences on loan to Championship clubs – Millwall, Ipswich, MK Dons and Preston – before rediscovering his goalscoring touch in Dutch football.Ideally, the 18-year-old Melia does not undergo as many negative experiences as Parrott or injury setbacks as Evan Ferguson before he can establish himself as a number nine.Tottenham see this move as a one-season loan to develop Melia physically, so Lincoln do not have a purchase option or obligation to buy. Clearly, the Republic of Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrímsson rates the Co Wicklow striker, capping him in the June friendlies against Qatar and Canada.Jack Moylan (Cardiff City)Ireland's Jack Moylan of Cardiff City had an eventful first few games for Ireland. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho “His story is important,” Cardiff manager Brian Barry-Murphy told The Irish Times. By that, the Cork native was referring to Moylan’s slow-burning career in the League of Ireland where he was rejected by Bohemians before the former Shelbourne manager Damien Duff spotted him at Wexford. A key figure in Lincoln’s promotion from League One last season, where his 11 goals and seven assists earned him a first cap in May when he scored a hat-trick against Grenada, only to be sent off on his home debut against Qatar 12 days later. Cardiff’s seven-figure signing is believed to have doubled Shels’ profit as they sold the 24-year-old for £75,000 (€88,000) in 2023.Hallgrímsson will be fascinated to see if Moylan can transfer his attacking attributes to the Championship, just like he made a seamless leap from the Shelbourne to League One.Harvey Vale (QPR)Harvey Vale of Queens Park Rangers had a great youth career with England before changing to Ireland. Photograph: Jasper Wax/Getty A serious prospect at Chelsea, and a star turn in England underage sides – even captaining the under-19s to a European title in 2022 – injury has rerouted his career to the land of his Kerry-born grandfather with Hallgrímsson bringing him into the Ireland squad for the World Cup qualifier against the Czech Republic in March.Vale made his debut at the end of extra-time in Prague but missed penalties by Finn Azaz and Alan Browne meant he did not need to take the sixth spot-kick.The 22-year-old appears to possess the attributes to have an international career comparable to English-born Irish players like Andy Townsend and Kevin Kilbane.Interestingly, he started this week’s Carabao Cup tie against Millwall in midfield for Julien Stéphan’s team, but he is comfortable on either wing.Finn Azaz (Southampton)Finn Azaz of Southampton shoots and scores against Birmingham City. Photograph: Matt Watson/Southampton FC via Getty Southampton’s push for promotion to the Premier League came unstuck following charges of spying on three opposition clubs training sessions. Azaz played his part before the scandal engulfed his club, with 10 goals and seven assists. He is aiming to register double figures in goals from midfield for a fourth straight season in the Championship. If the 25-year-old maintains his fitness, the Saints should be back in contention for promotion.Romeo Akachukwu, Ryan Manning, Gavin Bazunu, Joe O’Brien-Whitmarsh and George Moloney are the other Irish players in the Southampton squad.Bosun Lawal (Stoke City)Bosun Lawal of Stoke is capable of great things in midfield. Photograph: Nathan Stirk/Getty Whether he plays at centre-half or right-back for Stoke, or holding midfielder for Ireland next month, Lawal’s hamstrings need to hold up if he is to fulfil his enormous potential.Now 23, last season his progress was continually interrupted by muscular issues. But whenever the big Dubliner is fit, his calmness in possession and range of passing are a joy to behold.Andrew Moran (Preston North End)Andrew Moran in action for Preston North End. Photograph: Plumb Images/Leicester City FC via Getty A rare Irish-born player who can run a game from midfield. Moran’s diminutive stature made it difficult for him to break into the Premier League at Brighton, but Preston had seen enough in January to turn a loan move into a three-and-half-year contract.Presumably the 22-year-old needs to display his durability before he can convince Hallgrímsson to trust him with the playmaking duties for Ireland, but his passing ability has never been in doubt.Rocco Vata (Watford)Rocco Vata of Watford is a big talent. Photograph: Richard Heathcote/Getty It was good business by the FAI to cap the Scottish-born winger with an Albanian dad, the former international Rudi Vata, in a Nations League tie against Bulgaria last year.Hamstring surgery in January slowed Vata’s rise, but Watford could be the club to watch from an Irish perspective if the 21-year-old finds form and they get James Abankwah back from Udinese for another loan spell.Tom Cannon (Sheffield United)Tom Cannon of Sheffield United is capable of a hot streak. Photograph: Mario Hommes/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty If Parrott, Ferguson or Melia cannot lay claim to Ireland’s lone striker position in the coming years, it will probably be because of Cannon.In May, the 23-year-old reminded Irish fans of his instinctive ability to find the net as he bridged an 18-month gap from his second to third cap with two goals in the 5-0 rout of Grenada.If Cannon catches fire, the focus on Sheffield United should also benefit Mark McGuinness, Sam Curtis and new signing Matt Doherty.Josh Cullen (Burnley)Josh Cullen of Burnley should be back in September. Photograph: Mike Morese/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty The Clarets do not expect their captain to return until September at the earliest following ACL surgery in January that took Ireland’s midfield general out of the World Cup playoffs.Cullen should return to his central role for club and country as Burnley seek an immediate return to the Premier League, ideally with a cameo from the injury-cursed striker Michael Obafemi.Gavin Bazunu (Southampton)Gavin Bazunu of Southampton has struggled with injuries. Photograph: Richard Pelham/Getty Only 24, Bazunu should have a long club and international career ahead of him, but an Achilles injury in April 2024, followed by knee and thigh issues while trying to re-establish himself on loan to Standard Liége and Stoke City, have stymied his progress.Irish qualified players in EFL ChampionshipBristol City (4): Jason Knight, Luke McNally, Billy O’Neill, Adam Murphy.Charlton Athletic (4): Tiernan Brooks, Conor Coventry, Millenic Alli, Danny McNamara.Sheffield United (4): Mark McGuinness, Sam Curtis, Matt Doherty, Tom Cannon.Southampton (4): Gavin Bazunu, Ryan Manning, Finn Azaz, Romeo Akachukwu.Bolton Wanderers (3): Jack Bonham, David Harrington, Cyrus Christie.Cardiff City (3): Joel Bagan, Jack Moylan, Callum Robinson.Lincoln City (3): Josh Honahan, Mason Melia, James Collins.Portsmouth (3): Eoin Kenny, Conor Shaughnessy, Franco Umeh.Queens Park Rangers (3): Harvey Vale, Jimmy Dunne, Philip Sanyaolu.Swansea City (3): Adam Idah, Bobby Wales, Josh Key.West Bromwich Albion (3): Max O’Leary, Jayson Molumby, Mikey Johnston.Blackburn Rovers (2): Seán McLoughlin, Connor O’Riordan.Burnley (2): Josh Cullen, Michael Obafemi.Preston North End (2): Andrew Moran, Cathal O’Sullivan.Stoke City (2): Bosun Lawal, Gabriel Kelly.Derby County (1): Sammie Szmodics.Millwall (1): Mark Sykes.Norwich City (1): Vinnie Leonard.Watford (1): Rocco Vata.Wolves (1): Nathan Fraser.