Silly season is now officially over and as always there are a few Irish players who have gone for a change of scenery.
With the Euro 2016 qualifying campaign about to get underway, Martin O'Neill and Roy Keane would have looked at this transfer window more keenly than ever with some key and fringe players packing their bags for pastures new.
Here are some of the moves of interest:
Shane Long
Hull City to Southampton (€15M)
This was definitely by far the most high-profile transfer of any Irish player this summer. And it even caught the attention of the CIES Football Observatory who deduced that Southampton over-paid Hull for the striker's services.
While, Long's debut featured a bad miss, he has been involved in all of Southampton's league matches so far as well as their League Cup win
So game-time is unlikely to be an issue on the south coast. However, positioning could be something to think about. Renowned for his work-rate rather than his goalscoring, manager Ronald Koeman envisages Long playing anywhere across the frontline rather than in a fixed central striker position. Kevin Kilbane told Off The Ball that this would be a "waste" of the Tipp man's talents, although Long himself seems okay with it.
If he thrives in a wide position, it will be of particular interest to O'Neill when it comes to utilizing Long's versatility, especially if he wants to include both Long and Robbie Keane in a more modern formation.
Shane Duffy
Everton to Blackburn (€1.9M)
The former Northern Ireland youth international has been on the fringes of the Ireland squad and is part of the squad for the Oman friendly and the opening Euro 2016 qualifier.
At the start of the week, the Everton academy graduate swapped the Toffees for a permanent move to Championship side Blackburn Rovers.
Justifying his move, the 22-year-old defender said he did not want to be sitting on the sidelines at Everton. One can also assume that he also wished to leave the instability of the loan system which has taken him to the likes of Burnley, Scunthorpe and Yeovil Town in recent seasons.
Regular first team football for Duffy will be a particular boost for O'Neill especially in defence, which is not an area of strength when it comes to depth for the Boys in Green at present.
Kieren Westwood
Sunderland to Sheffield Wednesday (Free)
Shay Given's return to the Ireland fold pushes the 29-year-old down to third in the goalkeeping pecking order. In the wake of Euro 2012 and Given's retirement, it was Westwood that was in pole position to claim the jersey but a lack of games for Sunderland (just 24 appearances in three years) saw him lose the Ireland No 1 jersey to David Forde.
Westwood made 10 Premier League appearances last season but a summer move to Championship side Sheffield Wednesday offers him regular football.
It was at the forefront of his mind as he admitted that he had turned down a chance to join Manchester City in order to go to Sheffield Wednesday.
The move gives O'Neill more to think about at least between the sticks.
Samir Carruthers
Aston Villa to MK Dons (€0.2M)
Young starlet Jack Grealish is one of many Irish eligible players that Aston Villa's academy has produced recently. Other include Kilkenny lad and former NextGen series star Michael Drennan and Samir Carruthers.
The latter has cut ties with Villa by joining League One MK Dons on a permanent three-year deal after spending last season on loan at the club. An Ireland U21 regular, the talented winger will hope to move closer to the senior team reckoning.
Carruthers was involved as MK Dons humiliated Manchester United in the League Cup last week, but will hope to become a regular for a club that will be aiming to be in the Championship this time next season.
Kevin Doyle
Hull to Crystal Palace (loan)
The Wexford man is back in the Premier League after a two-year absence - albeit on loan. The deadline day Crystal Palace move gives him a chance to put his name up in lights to some degree after a difficult couple of years which saw him go almost two years without an international goal until he netted against Costa Rica in a June friendly.
The challenge will be to get into the Palace starting XI before his loan expires in January. Thus far Marouane Chamakh and Frazier Campbell are the central strikers he must leapfrog for regular minutes.
However, he should get reasonable minutes from the bench as the 30-year-old battles Shane Long, Robbie Keane, Anthony Stokes and John Walters for a place in O'Neill's affections.
Other Irish players on the move...
Paul Green (Ipswich to Rotherham United)
Conor Sammon (Derby to Ipswich on loan)
Simon Cox (Nottingham Forest to Reading)
Anthony Pilkington (Norwich to Cardiff)
Stephen Ward (Wolves to Burnley)
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