AS THEY GET set to begin their 2017 SSE Airtricity League Premier Division campaign at home to Bray Wanderers on Friday night, St Patrick’s Athletic have announced the signing of 21-year-old striker Josh O’Hanlon.
The Dubliner returns to the League of Ireland on a permanent basis, having left Longford Town in 2013 to sign a three-and-a-half-year deal with Bournemouth.
“Josh is a particularly good signing,” St Pat’s manager Liam Buckley told the club’s official website. “He’s been in training with us for the last few weeks and we’ve seen him in a couple of the friendly games too in which he’s done really well.
“He’s a strong boy, technically very good and will link the play well for us. I’m looking forward to working with him.”
After impressing for Longford during the 2013 season, O’Hanlon was snapped up by Bournemouth but was unable to make a first-team breakthrough for the English club, who have since been promoted to the Premier League.
O’Hanlon went on to have loan spells with Oxford City, Poole Town and Chester, as well as returning temporarily to Longford at the beginning of the 2016 League of Ireland season.
He moved to League Two club Newport County last summer and made 10 appearances for the Welsh outfit but was released in January.
“I wasn’t really sure what I was going to do when I came home from England in January. I’ve done pre-season with Pat’s and am happy to finally get it done,” O’Hanlon said.
“I wanted to come back into a full-time club in Ireland. Playing part-time is something I wasn’t interested in. Having been in the UK, I needed to stay training every day and I’m happy Liam and St Pat’s have given me the chance to do that.”
