SLIGO ROVERS DEFENDER Shane Blaney has returned to the club on a loan deal from parent club Livingston.
The deal, which runs until 30 June, 2026, is subject to international transfer clearance.
The Letterkenny native returns to the Premier Division side following a three-year spell in the Scottish Premiership with both Motherwell and Livingston. The 26-year-old initially arrived at the Bit O’Red ahead of the 2021 season, following spells in England and played 45 times for the club before joining Motherwell in 2023.
Blaney becomes the 21st player to sign for Sligo Rovers ahead of their first game of the season in Derry on 6 February.
We are thrilled to announce that defender Shane Blaney is returning to Rovers on loan, subject to international transfer clearance 🙌
“I found out last week that there was a possibility of coming back”, Blaney said after his deal was announced.
“So I spoke to Livingston and obviously I’ve had a rough year in terms of injuries so it’s important that I get back playing and enjoying it. I spoke to a few clubs but John Russell was on the ball and to be honest, there’s no place better for me to be playing football so I jumped at the chance and I’m really looking forward to getting going.
“John played a huge part. We’ve stayed in contact all through the time I’ve been away. I have a great relationship with Casey, (Richard) Brush and John so it’s all very familiar to me. I loved their ideas and their enthusiasm in wanting to push the club to the next level. The squad is keen to get a good buzz going around the north-west and getting some good results and you can really feel that already.
“I’ll be bringing experience back with me. Under John and Ryan (Casey), I got a lot of confidence back and that helped me when I was heading to the UK. I’ve played a lot of big games in the Scottish Premier, so hopefully it’ll stand to me. I want to leave Rovers in a good spot when it’s my time to head off again.”
Meanwhile, Derry City have signed Swansea City striker Josh Thomas on an initial six-month loan deal.
The 23-year-old Welshman spent last season on loan at Drogheda United, scoring six goals in 17 games after recovering from an early-season quad injury.
Welcome aboard Josh! 🔴⚪
Just before the City squad left for the pre-season Spanish training camp today, Tiernan Lynch confirmed the addition of Swansea City striker Josh Thomas on loan.https://t.co/JDmShwbm63
Thomas’ arrival was announced this afternoon, just before the Candystripes flew to Spain for a pre-season training camp.
“Josh was someone who had been on our radar for a while,” said Derry boss Tiernan Lynch. “I’d seen him a few times, including the cup game at the Brandywell where he gave us a really tough night.
“Swansea were keen for him to continue to develop and gain experience at senior level and we believe that this is an ideal opportunity for everyone.”
Thomas added: “I really enjoyed playing at the Brandywell and am looking forward to doing it this year as a Derry player. It wasn’t a difficult decision at all once I knew Derry wanted me over and I had spoken with the manager.
“My game is about creating and scoring goals, and while you can’t always guarantee that, I can promise the fans hard work every single time.
“It’s a really tough league and while I knew the standard would be good, I didn’t realise how good. I’m sure that experience will help again this year and I can’t wait for the games to start.”
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LOI loan deals: Sligo defender Blaney returns from Livingston as Derry sign Thomas from Swansea
LAST UPDATE | 2 hrs ago
SLIGO ROVERS DEFENDER Shane Blaney has returned to the club on a loan deal from parent club Livingston.
The deal, which runs until 30 June, 2026, is subject to international transfer clearance.
The Letterkenny native returns to the Premier Division side following a three-year spell in the Scottish Premiership with both Motherwell and Livingston. The 26-year-old initially arrived at the Bit O’Red ahead of the 2021 season, following spells in England and played 45 times for the club before joining Motherwell in 2023.
Blaney becomes the 21st player to sign for Sligo Rovers ahead of their first game of the season in Derry on 6 February.
“I found out last week that there was a possibility of coming back”, Blaney said after his deal was announced.
“So I spoke to Livingston and obviously I’ve had a rough year in terms of injuries so it’s important that I get back playing and enjoying it. I spoke to a few clubs but John Russell was on the ball and to be honest, there’s no place better for me to be playing football so I jumped at the chance and I’m really looking forward to getting going.
“John played a huge part. We’ve stayed in contact all through the time I’ve been away. I have a great relationship with Casey, (Richard) Brush and John so it’s all very familiar to me. I loved their ideas and their enthusiasm in wanting to push the club to the next level. The squad is keen to get a good buzz going around the north-west and getting some good results and you can really feel that already.
“I’ll be bringing experience back with me. Under John and Ryan (Casey), I got a lot of confidence back and that helped me when I was heading to the UK. I’ve played a lot of big games in the Scottish Premier, so hopefully it’ll stand to me. I want to leave Rovers in a good spot when it’s my time to head off again.”
Meanwhile, Derry City have signed Swansea City striker Josh Thomas on an initial six-month loan deal.
The 23-year-old Welshman spent last season on loan at Drogheda United, scoring six goals in 17 games after recovering from an early-season quad injury.
Thomas’ arrival was announced this afternoon, just before the Candystripes flew to Spain for a pre-season training camp.
“Josh was someone who had been on our radar for a while,” said Derry boss Tiernan Lynch. “I’d seen him a few times, including the cup game at the Brandywell where he gave us a really tough night.
“Swansea were keen for him to continue to develop and gain experience at senior level and we believe that this is an ideal opportunity for everyone.”
Thomas added: “I really enjoyed playing at the Brandywell and am looking forward to doing it this year as a Derry player. It wasn’t a difficult decision at all once I knew Derry wanted me over and I had spoken with the manager.
“My game is about creating and scoring goals, and while you can’t always guarantee that, I can promise the fans hard work every single time.
“It’s a really tough league and while I knew the standard would be good, I didn’t realise how good. I’m sure that experience will help again this year and I can’t wait for the games to start.”
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