Player influxes are rare in the League of Ireland. The collapse of ITV Digital in 2002 saw a notable increase in the number of young players returning to Ireland’s domestic league that summer, but, in general, the traffic has always been one way – out.
Ironic then that Irish football could be starting to benefit from problems elsewhere, specifically Latvia, which has resulted in no less than three players signed up for the new term.
A flood it is not, but following the success of Lithuanian International Mindaugas Kalonas during his spell at Bohemians last year – when he scored five goals from 11 games – three new recruits have arrived from Latvian clubs.
Roberts Mezeckis signed for Cork City on a free transfer from Skonto Riga last month having previously played for FK Riga, and he will be joined at Turner’s Cross by former team-mate Guntars Silagailis – both agreeing one-year deals.
The pair came on trial to the club and were joined by another ex-FK Riga man, Gints Freimanis, who went on to secure terms with St. Patrick’s Athletic.
The odd player has been linked before – Cork City pondered a move for Slavia Prague’s Martin Cernoch after playing the Czech side in the UEFA Cup in 2005 for example – but it could very well be that Bohemians' defeat to RK Riga in last year’s Intertoto Cup turns out to be a key moment in the history of the league.
You see, Mezeckis is a current member of the Latvian senior international squad, while Freimanis believes his move to Ireland could open the international door for him - helped by the fact that at least two other compatriots will be plying their trade in the same league.
Speaking to setanta.com, Freimanis said: “I want to win every game for the club, I don’t like to lose. I don’t like second place, or third place. [But then] for me, I want to score a lot of goals and try and get into the national team this year.
“There is more reason to look at the League of Ireland now. Roberts already played in the national team and I think the coach [Aleksandrs Starkovs] will come to the games and watch. Maybe he will come when we play Cork City!”
Freimanis almost signed for The Leesiders last summer until problems with his own club [FK Riga] and at Cork – the club was forced into examinership – put a halt on proceedings. Since then the winger, who says he is also happy to play up front, has spent time in Spain.
“I was with Atlético Baleares, they were in the Spanish third division. Then for two weeks I was at Real Betis. For second team they said I was a little bit too old and for first team, they said it was not my level.
“I couldn’t stay in Spain, in only the third division. In Ireland, I have a chance to play in the Premier Division, so I came here.”
A second trial at Cork City also failed to work out, before finally impressing and earning a contract with St. Pat’s.
“The coach [Paul Doolin] didn’t like me - I was not fit. I am still not a 100 percent ready, but the coach here [Kenna] trusts me and I hope that I’ll get my fitness very quickly. I’ve just come from Spain where they play football all the time with the ball and you don’t run so much like here.
“There are also good guys here, and good coaches. Everyone has been very nice, and I feel very good here.”
It has not been easy though, either for Freimanis or the many other footballers looking for alternatives outside of his native Latvia. And Ireland’s current economy position – it being better than Latvia’s as opposed to good – means that the domestic league here is now being considered an option.
“In Latvia there is a very bad situation at the moment. It’s a very big crisis and the players are trying to get out. At the start of last season [2008], there was good money. But the club almost collapsed, we didn’t get paid for three months while I was there and they have cut the budget for this year. So I think more players could come [here].”
Freimanis, at least, has had the comfort of having family close while in Ireland as his older brother currently works in Longford while the Latvian community continues to grow nationwide.
The 23-year-old’s first aim is to establish himself as a regular with The Saints, all while backing Mezeckis and Silagailis to make impacts at Cork City.
“I am hungry for the football and I would kill someone to get on to the pitch at the moment because I want to play so much,” he explained.
“[Roberts] only got in national team last year, so I hope to get my chance. I played with him in Riga - he’s a good player, he has experience and it’s very easy on the pitch for him.
“Guntars is also good. He’s physically strong and he can score the goals. I played with him at two clubs in Latvia. He can play here in Ireland, because this is his football.”
Only the coming months will reveal whether or not this Latvian trickle can develop into something more forceful, but it is also a far cry from the days when washed up and officially retired pros would arrive over looking for an extra few bob to help their passage into old age.