DERRY CITY HAVE swooped in to sign Dundee United defender Mark Connolly from under the nose of Premier Division rivals Dundalk.

Connolly’s six-month loan at Oriel Park came to an end last week with Lilywhites boss Stephen O’Donnell forced to admit defeat in his efforts to hang on to the centre-half.

And Derry announced their transfer coup on Thursday evening by bringing in Connolly on a two-and-a-half year deal.

Connolly, who was the SSE Airtricity/Soccer Writers’ Ireland Player of the Month in June, fills the void left by Eoin Toal’s move to Bolton Wanderers.

The 30-year-old said that his decision was an easy one after Candystripes boss Ruaidhri Higgins and assistant Alan Reynolds flew out to Scotland to meet with him and his family.

“I think after speaking to the manager and speaking to my wife, it was a lot easier making the decision regarding my family,” he told the club’s official website. “That was top of the list and top priority.

“For the manager to show a keenness to want to sign me, getting on that plane and flying over, that meant a lot to me and my wife and my family.

“It was an easy decision in the end thankfully.”