Stoke City legend Terry Conroy is hoping to improve prospects of young Irish players in England.

Conroy, a Dubliner who spent most of his career at Stoke, is currently player welfare officer in Britain for the Football Association of Ireland (FAI), the game's governing body.

In a report just published in Dublin, he presents young Irish hopefuls with a picture far removed from the celebrity lifestyle they may dream about.

According to his report, 85 per cent of those who sign professional contracts with a club at the age of 16 will not be there three years later.

"At 18, 19 or 20 years of age, they are still inexperienced in most matters of life and the stigma of failure lies heavily on their young shoulders. It's a terrible burden to bear," he told The Sentinel, adding that there have been numerous cases of young Irish players not returning home for fear of being labelled failures.