DUNDALK HAVE CONFIRMED the signing of Gibraltar international defender Louie Annesley from English Championship club Blackburn Rovers on a multi-year contract.
Annesley, 22, is a centre-back by trade but has also been deployed as a holding midfielder by his national team, for whom he has already earned 35 senior caps.
London-born Annesley spent time at the Chelsea academy in his youth before beginning his senior career with English non-league club Cobham.
Following a short spell at Barnet, he joined Gibraltarian outfit Lincoln Red Imps in early 2018, debuting in a Europa League tie against The New Saints of Wales.
Blackburn moved for the still-teenaged Annesley in 2019. After an initial loan spell at Woking, he made one first-team appearance for the Lancashire club, in a League Cup tie away to Bradford City last August. He joined fifth-tier Barnet on loan in late November before joining Stephen O’Donnell’s Dundalk on a permanent deal from his parent club.
“Dundalk is a club I was aware of from the success they’ve had over the past decade and from playing in the Europa League group stages so when Stephen rang me, my ears pricked up straight away,” Annesley said upon confirmation of the move today.
“The vision he sold me — aiming to win league titles and cups, and making real progress in Europe — is something that definitely appeals to me and everything added up to make it the perfect move for me at this stage of my career.”
Dundalk confirmed that Annesley was introduced to his new teammates on Monday morning before taking part in training.
“It was really intense,” the defender said. “the standard was excellent and I really enjoyed it. I’m raring to go and can’t wait for the first league game of the season to come around on 17 February.”
Annesley became the first player to represent Gibraltar at every age group from U16 to senior level when he debuted against Latvia in 2018. He scored his first and only goal to date for Gibraltar in their 2-1 loss against Georgia in the Nations League last September.
Annesley played in both of Gibraltar’s Euro 2020 qualifiers against the Republic of Ireland, whom Gibraltar will again meet in the upcoming qualifiers for Euro 2024.
“It’s going to be weird,” he said. “I’m excited for those two games, especially now that I’m at Dundalk. Hopefully, I’ll have a couple of supporters in the Irish end!”
In the SSE Airtricity League First Division, newcomers Kerry FC have recruited Croatian attacker Trpimir Vrljicak from Killarney Celtic.
The 22-year-old, nicknamed ‘Tryp’, is a six-foot-four striker who previously attended football school in NK Neretva before signing for Croatian first-division outfit NK Istra 1961. The Medjugorje native went on to play first-team football for second-division outfit Junak Sinj before moving firstly to the Czech Republic and, eventually, to The Kingdom.
“To be honest, this is a new beginning for me,” said Vrljicak. “I really like Kerry.
“This is a great opportunity for my teammates and I to take a step forward in our careers. We are a young team with an excellent coach and his assistants who can help us a lot and show us many things.
“The only thing I want to say to the fans is that I will always give 150% of myself on the field and that I am hungry for victories and goals.”
From Croatia to Kerry FC
— Kerry Football Club (@KerryFC) January 10, 2023
Welcome Trpimir Vrljicak, or as we like to call him 'Tryp', who signs from @killarneyceltic having previously played in his native Croatia and the Czech Republic pic.twitter.com/ku8di6E3WH
Kerry boss Billy Dennehy added: “Tryp is a great guy and a great addition to our squad ahead of the season.
“We are delighted to give Tryp this opportunity to play at League of Ireland level. His experience is huge for us and with his height, he will be a huge threat in front of goal.”
