IRELAND’S CONOR CLIFFORD has joined Crawley Town on loan until the New Year.
The Chelsea midfielder, who recently turned 21, will join the League One outfit on a short-term deal due to expire on January 5 in a bid to gain first-team experience.
Dubliner Clifford joined the Pensioners as a 16-year-old from Crumlin United and went on to captain their FA Youth Cup-winning team in 2010 – scoring the winning goal against Aston Villa in the final.
Highly-rated by club and country, he has spent the past two seasons on loan at a number of lower league sides but only made two appearances for Portsmouth during his latest spell earlier this season.
Despite his lack of playing time, Giovanni Trapattoni called the youngster into his senior squads for Ireland’s World Cup qualifiers with Germany, the Faroe Islands as well as the friendly against Greece.
He is still waiting to earn his first cap at senior level, however.
Managed by Steve Coppell, Crawley lie ninth in England’s third tier and currently have three Irish players in their ranks – Billy Clarke, Mark Connolly and Scott Davies.
