SLIGO ROVERS HAVE bolstered their midfield options with the signing of Adam McDonnell.
The 24-year-old Dubliner joins the Showgrounds outfit after spending the past seven years in England.
McDonnell, who moved to Ipswich Town from Shelbourne in 2014, recently departed Boreham Wood after two seasons with the National League side.
“In the last few weeks my agent and the club were in conversation and for me it was a no-brainer to sign for Sligo Rovers,” McDonnell said this afternoon.
“I know what Liam Buckley’s teams are like – I remember it from playing against St Patrick’s Athletic at the start of my career and I didn’t forget it. I was up against Greg Bolger that day actually and the style of football will be a great fit for me.
“I’m a ball-playing midfielder who can play six or 10. I think defending matters when it comes to midfield, so if I play six I like to get on the ball and protect the defence and, if playing further up the pitch, create chances or score goals.
“I absolutely loved my time in England. The last year or so was not as enjoyable with lockdown and it was the right time to come back to Ireland. I’m in Sligo so I’ll be able to travel home to Dublin at times and see my family, which I wasn’t able to do in England.”
After being brought to Ipswich by Mick McCarthy, McDonnell played five first-team games for the Tractor Boys. He left in 2017 to join Aldershot Town, making 75 appearances before a 2019 switch to Boreham Wood.
Having completed Covid-19 protocols, the former Ireland youth international is eligible to make his debut in Thursday’s Europa Conference League first qualifying round second leg against Icelandic outfit Hafnarfjarðar, in which Sligo Rovers must overcome a 1-0 deficit.
McDonnell will also be keen to play a part in a title challenge, with his new club currently level on points with reigning champions Shamrock Rovers at the top of the Premier Division.
“We’re very pleased to bring Adam in,” Sligo boss Liam Buckley said of his newest recruit. “I’ve known of Adam since he was a young kid starting out at Shels with a lot of potential. He’s gone over to England and done very well for the last six or seven years.
“He brings experience and he’ll be a help to us over the season. We are only at the midway point, so between the league, the cup and the rest of the European season, there’s a lot of football to be played.
“Adam can play in a couple of midfield roles, he’s got a lot of quality and he’ll get a chance here. We’re working off a very good squad here but a tight squad on numbers so we will need everyone.
“Every player we bring in will get the opportunity and Adam comes into the mix now. With this move being in the offing for a while, Adam has kept fit and from training today he looked good. We’ll see how things go when he makes a debut but it’s another good addition to us.”
Of the potential for more new signings, Buckley added: “We’re still in the mix with the window still open. As I said, we don’t have the biggest of squads so if something does materialise we will assess it, as we continue to do on an ongoing basis.”
