A recent post on foot.ie stated the the author could not remember when Ireland had so few players starting in the Premier League. Taking this on board, I resolved to examine the Irish Abroad database and get the list of players who have started at least one Premier League game in each of the last seven seasons. With 25 players starting at least one game in the 2012/2013 season, it is below the average for the previous six season, which is 28, but Irish players are still the third most represented nation in the PL, after England and France
2006-2007: 24
Stephen Carr, Lee Carsley, Kevin Doyle, Damien Duff, Richard Dunne,
Steve Finnan, Caleb Folan, Derek Geary, Shay Given, Matt Holland,
Stephen Hunt, Stephen Ireland, Robbie Keane, Paddy Kenny, Kevin Kilbane,
Shane Long, Alan O'Brien, Andy O'Brien, John O'Shea, Stephen Quinn,
Alan Quinn, Darren Randolph, Andy Reid, Steven Reid
2007-2008: 27
Stephen Carr, Lee Carsley, David Connolly, Colin Doyle, Kevin Doyle,
Damien Duff, Richard Dunne, Steve Finnan, Caleb Folan, Shay Given, Ian
Harte, Stephen Hunt, Stephen Ireland, Robbie Keane, Stephen Kelly, Kevin
Kilbane, Shane Long, Paul McShane, Liam Miller, Daryl Murphy, Andy
O'Brien, Joey O'Brien, Roy O'Donovan, John O'Shea, Steven Reid, Andy
Reid, Anthony Stokes
2008-2009: 24
Keith Andrews, Rory Delap, Damien Duff, Richard Dunne, Caleb Folan,
Darron Gibson, Shay Given, Stephen Ireland, Robbie Keane, Stephen Kelly,
Dean Kiely, Kevin Kilbane, Liam Lawrence, Paul McShane, Liam Miller,
Daryl Murphy, Andy O'Brien, Joey O'Brien, John O'Shea, Steven Reid, Andy
Reid, Keith Treacy, Glenn Whelan, Marc Wilson
2009-2010: 32
Keith Andrews, Stephen Carr, Lee Carsley, Rory Delap, Kevin Doyle,
Damien Duff, Richard Dunne, Keith Fahey, Steve Finnan, Caleb Folan,
Kevin Foley, Darron Gibson, Shay Given, Stephen Hunt, Stephen Ireland,
Robbie Keane, Stephen Kelly, Andy Keogh, Kevin Kilbane, Liam Lawrence,
Chris McCann, James McCarthy, Paul McShane, David Meyler, Daryl Murphy,
Andy O'Brien, John O'Shea, Andy Reid, Steven Reid, Stephen Ward, Glenn
Whelan, Marc Wilson
2010-2011: 27
Keith Andrews, Leon Best, Stephen Carr, Ciaran Clark, Seamus Coleman,
Rory Delap, Kevin Doyle, Damien Duff, Richard Dunne, Keith Fahey, Kevin
Foley, Darron Gibson, Stephen Hunt, Stephen Ireland, Robbie Keane,
Stephen Kelly, James McCarthy, David Meyler, Andy O'Brien, John O'Shea,
Steven Reid, Andy Reid, Conor Sammon, Jonathan Walters, Stephen Ward,
Glenn Whelan, Marc Wilson
2011-2012: 34
Keith Andrews, Leon Best, Ciaran Clark, Seamus Coleman, Simon Cox, Rory
Delap, Kevin Doyle, Damien Duff, Shane Duffy, Richard Dunne, Kevin
Foley, Anthony Forde, Darron Gibson, Shay Given, Wes Hoolahan, Stephen
Hunt, Stephen Ireland, Robbie Keane, Stephen Kelly, Paddy Kenny, Shane
Long, James McCarthy, James McClean, David Meyler, John O'Shea, Anthony
Pilkington, Steven Reid, Conor Sammon, Marc Tierney, Jonathan Walters,
Stephen Ward, Keiren Westwood, Glenn Whelan, Marc Wilson
2012-2013: 25
Ciaran Clark, Seamus Coleman, Damien Duff, Robert Elliot, Darron Gibson,
Shay Given, Ian Harte, Wes Hoolahan, Noel Hunt, Stephen Ireland,
Stephen Kelly, Shane Long, James McCarthy, James McClean, Joey O'Brien,
John O'Shea, Alex Pearce, Anthony Pilkington, Steven Reid, Enda Stevens,
Jay Tabb, Marc Tierney, Jonathan Walters, Glenn Whelan, Marc Wilson
