What's behind the Irish Premiership's Scottish influx?

From Scott Young, to Marc Smyth and more recently Rohan Ferguson, there has always been a small pocket of Scottish players dotted around the Irish Premiership.

Those three are examples of Scots that have thrived in the league with Young at Glentoran, Smyth at Cliftonville and Ferguson at Larne all lifting the Gibson Cup during their spells at those respective clubs.

The landscape in the last two to three years has changed dramatically in the Irish Premiership with Crusaders boss Declan Caddell remarking that "it seems that every player coming in now is Scottish".

Indeed, according to Marshall Gillespie, there are 29 Scottish players registered to the 12 top flight clubs, with 13 arriving in the summer window from Scottish clubs.

BBC Sport NI looks at the reasons behind the sudden influx of Scottish players in the Irish Premiership.

Crusaders are the side with the most Scottish players in their current squad with seven, while Ballymena United, Dungannon Swifts and Limavady United are the only clubs who don't have a Scottish player in their squad.

The Crues seem to be the top flight team that have enjoyed the most success in bringing in young players on free transfers from the likes of the Scottish Championship and League One.

They began a concerted Scottish recruitment drive in 2024 as boss Caddell felt and still maintains that the market in Northern Ireland for local players is "massively over inflated".

"Scottish players are keen to come over for less money for the opportunity to play at the highest level in the country," he added.

"Scotland is littered with young talent and they probably don't always get a chance in Scotland whatever way that pyramid looks.

"You take them in, you develop them and you can push them on to bigger and better things. That's four now for us – Musa (Dibaga), Kieran (Offord), Fraser (Bryden) and Adam (Brooks)."

As Caddell alluded to, Crusaders' approach has paid dividends on and off the pitch for both player and club.

Kieran Offord, who arrived in 2024, was an instant success, scoring 14 goals in 26 games during a six-month loan spell before he moved onto Linfield.

The following summer they brought in goalkeeper Musa Dibaga, forwards Adam Brooks and Fraser Bryden, who, like Offord thrived at Seaview.

Dibaga was the penalty shootout hero in the Crues' promotion/relegation play-off final, earning a move to Dunfermline for an undisclosed fee, while Bryden scored 24 goals in 39 appearances to earn a move to Chesterfield, again for a big fee.

Brooks was set to take on the mantel after Bryden left and play in his more favoured central striker role, but after his hat-trick against Portadown he was bought by Coleraine for a six-figure sum plus add-ons.

All four played an important part on the pitch for Crusaders, but the departures of the latter three for significant fees have helped the club financially.

"That's probably where we are as a club, that's what we need (selling Scottish players for profit)," Caddell continued.

"You look at players and player trading. You get those players in at no cost, you develop them and you sell them on – it's as simple as that.

"It helps our finances as a football club and beyond the pitch too. The hard part, as always, is trying to replace them.

"I've got lucky with three centre-forwards so I'm hoping to strike again with a fourth."

The Scottish contingent in their current squad include Jacob Blaney, Scot Rough, Cammy Bruce, Elliot Dunlop, Kieran McKechnie, Owen Wardell and Aaron Reid, with the latter two brought in during the summer window.

Wardell looks to be the latest rough diamond they have uncovered, with Caddell stating that he will be "the next to go".

The 20-year-old winger arrived from Lithuanian side FK Be1 and has already scored twice in his five appearances for the club, catching the eye with his direct running and crossing ability.

Caddell knows unearthing more "little gems" may be more difficult now that it is a market other teams are targeting given the low risk but high reward they can get from taking a chance on the young players, who are willing to move to rejuvenate their careers or springboard them to better things.

"We're not the only club that's doing it but we probably got in before everybody else.

"Our league is evolving and I think you have to widen that net and look for more players which, in turn, helps the development of the league too.

"It's been good for us, Coleraine as well, Linfield. Even Bangor now have signed two or three Scottish players so every club's doing it."

Coleraine have six Scottish players on their books, with Aidan Wilson and Jay Henderson arriving this summer from Scottish clubs, while Joe Thomson and Brooks joined from Glentoran and Crusaders.

Manager Ruaidhri Higgins said he has "always signed Scottish players" for their character as much as their talent.

"I think their mentality is very similar to people in this part of the world. Generally I find them really good lads," he told BBC Sport NI.

"We've a good crew of them here and we're delighted with them as long as they speak to the others and not just stay in their wee Scottish crew!"

Part of the allure of joining the ambitious Bannsiders for Henderson, who arrived from Ross County, was the chance to play European football.

He also points to the similarity in structure of the Irish Premiership and the Scottish Championship for example, which only has 10 teams.

"I think that would be a factor in all the boys' thinking (chance of playing European football) whether it be Coleraine or Crusaders or anyone. The fact that you can play in Europe is a big pull," he said.

"The league's quite condensed, a bit like the Scottish Championship, so that is a big factor too.

"Every player wants to be play on the highest stage possible and Europe's one of them."

The 24-year-old said he knew a few of the Scottish players in the league before joining and they had "nothing but good things to say" about the Irish Premiership which also influenced his decision to make the move.

"It just shows you that the standard is good or you wouldn't get all the boys coming across the water."

Given the success Crusaders in particular have had with bringing in Scottish players and as Henderson has described, their desire to come and test themselves in the Irish Premiership, it looks like a trend that is set to continue.