By:
Graeme Hanna
Shelbourne are the first League of Ireland club to pay a six-figure transfer fee after the signing of Odhran Casey from Cliftonville.
Reports in Belfast suggested the sum was £100,000, but the Irish Independent has indicated that it was closer to £90,000 (€104,000).
What we do know is that Shelbourne have smashed the League of Ireland record transfer fee with the significant spend on Casey, a highly-rated 23-year-old who operates predominantly as a centre-back, but can also step into midfield.
The League of Ireland has become more renowned for its exports sealing big moves across the water and further afield in Europe.
In recent years, there has been a significant uplift in the fees collected by LOI sides selling their prized assets, such as Victor Ozhianvuna moving to Arsenal for €2 million and Mason Melia’s €1.8 million deal with Tottenham Hotspur.
League of Ireland clubs typically do not pay top dollar, even in relative terms, for incoming players, but Joey O’Brien and the management team at Shels obviously believe Odhran Casey is worth the outlay.
Previous record transfer fee in the League of Ireland
Before his switch from North Belfast to Drumcondra, the previous record was the amount paid for Eamon Zayed in 2006.
Two decades ago, Drogheda United met Bray Wanderers’ asking price for the Irish-Libyan striker.
He scored 54 goals in 105 games for the County Wicklow side before spending two seasons with the Boynesiders, recording an impressive 47 goals in just 71 appearances.
Zayed was a crucial player for Drogheda as they lifted their first League of Ireland Premier Division title in 2007.
A lengthy career at home and abroad meant he would go on to play for clubs such as Sporting Fingal, Derry City, Shamrock Rovers, as well as other teams in Iran and the United States.
https://twitter.com/shelsfc/status/2011491612979781798
Casey to contend with price-tag pressure
Odhran Casey has played over 143 first-team games for Cliftonville, including high-profile clashes with Crusaders, Linfield, Larne, and Irish Cup finals, among others.
He has played in the NIFL Premiership since he was 16, so the step up to the League of Ireland is unlikely to faze the seasoned campaigner.
At 23, he is still young enough to take his game to another level, and that is the joint aspiration following his move to Tolka Park.
Shels boss Joey O’Brien said of his new player, “We’re delighted to welcome Odhran to the club and are very excited to begin working with him.
He is a very experienced player for his age, having already played a huge number of senior games.
“We believe he has great potential for further development, and we’re very pleased that he has chosen to come to Shelbourne FC.”
Categories
- Athletics (5)
- Aussie Rules (1)
- Basketball (12)
- Camogie (3)
- College American football (1)
- Combat (185)
- Cricket (17)
- Cycling (4)
- Darts (36)
- Editors-picks (13)
- Football (1210)
- Formula-1 (14)
- GAA (308)
- Golf (162)
- Hockey (1)
- Horse Racing (172)
- interviews (3)
- LGFA (3)
- MLB Baseball (2)
- NFL (23)
- ROI Radar (1)
- Rowing (1)
- Rugby (188)
- Snooker (6)
- Swimming (3)
- Tennis (17)
- Uncategorized (17)
- WWE (1)
