A PROFESSIONAL English football team is set to recruit an Irish language tutor for its players.
Lincoln City, the current leaders of the English fourth tier - League Two - has placed an advert for a part-time personal tutor for an academy player studying for their Leaving Certificate examinations - the equivalent of A-levels in the Republic.
"The purpose of this is to teach a scholar the Irish language as part of their Leaving Certificate from September 2019," the advert states.
The job is approximately four hours per week of work.
Lincoln City has several Irish players in its ranks, including Northern Ireland internationals, Michael O'Connor and Shay McCartan. The latter was a Hogan Cup winner with St Colman's in Newry in 2010 and a member of Pete McGrath's Down minor panel the following year. McCartan switched codes in 2011 and has won two caps for Northern Ireland.
Paddy Doherty, who won three All-Ireland championships with Down in the 1960s, was also a gifted soccer player and signed for the Imps.
Lincoln City spokesman, Jez George said the club was proactively seeking young players from the north and the Republic and recognised the importance of education.
"We know that one of the challenges of young players coming over from the Republic of Ireland is finishing their Leaving Certificate," he told the BBC.
"Many families feel that's really important and we want to try and be responsible in trying to not make them have to have a dilemma between an opportunity at a professional football club and their education."
Mr George said it has been difficult to source Irish lessons in Lincoln, hence the need to advertise for the position. He dismissed any suggestion the advertisement is a publicity stunt and said it could help the side compete against sides with greater resources at their disposal.
"Instead of us hitting a brick wall when we find a player we think would have a potential opportunity with us, we want to try and see if we can find a way round that," he added.
"Usually the best way of doing that is to throw it out there so people with some information to help us come forward."
