CORK CITY HAVE confirmed the signings of Joe Redmond, Reyon Dillon and Henry Ochieng pending international clearance.
Central defender Redmond, 19, has represented Ireland at U18 level and arrives on Leeside on loan from Birmingham City until the summer. He had trained with Cork earlier in pre-season.
“I am just looking forward to getting going now,” Redmond told the club’s official website. “I have been in training with the lads and they have all been very good, so I can’t wait for the start of the season. We have good squad and a good bunch of lads here. There are some very good players here and I am excited about the start of the season.”
Striker Dillon has also trained with the 2017 League of Ireland champions in recent days having most recently played for Corinthian Casuals in England’s National League, or non-league premier division.
The 22-year-old, who began his career with Crystal Palace, said: “It has been good training with the lads. I am very happy to be joining a club like this, and I am very grateful to Neale [Fenn] for giving me this opportunity. I am just here to work hard and give my all for the club.”
The standard is better than I expected, so it has been tough, but I am match-fit having played half a season in England, which I feel will help me. The training sessions have been good, and I am working hard every day. I want to get as many minutes as I can, but I am striker, so I want to score as many goals as possible. I want to help put this club back where it should be.
Midfielder Ochieng, 21, most recently lined out for Wingate & Finchley in the Isthmian League Premier Division. A product of West Ham’s academy, he worked with Cork manager Neale Fenn during a later stint at Leyton Orient.
Delighted to have signed for @CorkCityFC with a big season ahead, I can’t wait for the season to get started ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/P6vt9476hg
— Henry Ochieng (@HenryOchieng_) January 31, 2020
Ochieng has a cap for Kenya U23s and was selected in the Kenyan senior squad for a 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Sierra Leone in November 2018, but the match was cancelled.
“I am delighted to sign for Cork City,” he said. “We have had a tough few weeks of training in pre-season, but I have got to know all of the lads and I am happy to be here.”
“There is definitely quality in the squad, and I am confident in the team going into the season, so hopefully we can have a good year.”
Fenn added of his new signings: “We needed a few more bodies in the squad. We were searching for the players we wanted, so I am very pleased to get the three boys in.
I would have worked with Henry at Leyton Orient when I was there a few years ago, and I am very pleased to have him on board. He has a good engine, he is good on the ball, he will work hard and he will keep us ticking over in midfield.
“Reyon is a striker who started out at Crystal Palace. He has dropped down the leagues a bit and found his way out of professional football, but we are giving him a chance of getting back into it.
Joe is a very, very good defender and is very good on the ball as well. He is obviously coming in on a loan deal from Birmingham City until the summer. He wants to get games, so we feel this is a good move for him and for us.
Fenn also suggested that Cork fans can still expect one or two new recruits, saying: “We are hoping to get another couple of players in, over the weekend or maybe early next week.”
