FROM A young age, Owen Elding was considered a high-potential player.
The 19-year-old attacker was just 12 when he joined Sligo Rovers after a successful trial, having already lined out for a Mayo League representative team.
Born in England, Elding had lived most of his life in the county and was also a keen GAA player, winning medals with Ardkeeran Primary School in Riverstown as a youngster.
His father, Anthony, had a long career in the game, representing Stockport County, Leeds United and Ferencváros at various points, before moving to Sligo in 2013.
Elding Sr promptly established himself as a fan favourite at the Showgrounds, scoring 20 goals in 43 appearances for the Bit O’Red, including a short second stint in 2015.
In 67 appearances for Sligo, Owen would fall just shy of his father’s tally, registering 16 goals in all competitions.
Conor O’Grady, himself a former Sligo player, is now their Head of Academy and was U15s coach at the time of Owen Elding’s arrival.
“I’d obviously heard about him [before he signed],” O’Grady says. “I suppose in this town, it’s not a big place. You’d hear about a fella or a girl fairly quickly. If there’s a good nine or 10-year-old, there’s a good chance I’ll know their name, or someone in the club will.
“A lot of the refs locally are good — they’d ring or text me if they’ve seen someone that they think is exceptional.
“They’re probably Rovers season ticket holders or fans. So they’ll be like: ‘You need to get a look at this fella.”
Elding was part of a “good group” that also included Daire Patton, Kyle McDonagh and Kyle Gabbidon, who have all since graduated to the first team.
From the outset, there was natural talent there, complemented by a tireless work ethic and footballing intelligence. In addition, Elding’s “beautiful left foot,” which has been the source of some spectacular goals, was already apparent.
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Anthony Elding celebrates scoring the winning goal for Sligo Rovers in injury time of the 2013 FAI Cup final. Donall Farmer / INPHO
Donall Farmer / INPHO / INPHO
Although, of course, he was far from the finished product.
“He had a lot of growing to do, on and off the pitch,” says O’Grady. “But you knew he had the mentality for it; he was so focused. And that probably came from his dad’s involvement in football.
“His dad would have helped him a lot along the way, in terms of coaching and advising him. Obviously, playing in a similar position, even though I think Owen is a very different player.
“He was a little bit slow, and that might have been due to some of the growth [to come]. I think he’s got quicker over the years, but he would have been working on these things, big time. He wasn’t as quick and athletic as he is now.
“He wasn’t as good on his right foot, just small little things. I suppose, at 12, no one is perfect.
“I’d be more worried if they weren’t technically able, and he was technically able from a young age.”
O’Grady adds that a calm temperament ensured Elding never got fazed by the inevitable hype owing to his exploits in the Premier Division.
Just over two months after turning 17, he made his debut as an 88th-minute substitute in May 2023 amid a 3-0 home loss to Shelbourne.
O’Grady says it was not a decision they put considerable thought into. Instead, it was a case of needs must, with the squad depleted by injuries.
“We don’t have the budgets of the bigger clubs,” he says. “He was obviously going well, but we had to throw him in.
“The first season here, from his own admission, he was only getting used to it. I would have said he did okay, but I knew from watching him underage that there was more there. And I think the year of training with the first team would have done a lot for him, and that settling-in period of playing a couple of games, he came on a lot.”
The virtues of patience were especially evident in Elding’s case, as he grew both psychologically and physically. Despite scoring “70 or 80 goals in the academy easily,” he made five senior appearances in the 2023 campaign and a further 22 in 2024, without finding the net.
Last year, however, proved to be his breakout campaign, with 12 goals in 35 Premier Division appearances, as well as being named PFAI Young Player of the Year, Sligo Rovers Player of the Year and securing a place in the PFAI Premier Division Team of the Year.
“The first goal was huge,” says O’Grady. “That was the real stepping stone.
“Last year in the first few games, you could see he had gone from a boy to a man, even in stature.”
He continues: “The likelihood of us winning trophies in the academy is small . . . It’s not important for us.
“When we see a player from the boys or girls, going through the pathway and making the first team debut, that’s our trophy.”
Elding also demonstrated versatility at Sligo. In addition to operating as a centre forward, he sometimes played on the right wing, having started as a left winger in his early days.
Primarily, though, O’Grady sees him as a goalscorer.
“He’s probably the most natural finisher we’ve ever had in the academy ahead of Johnny Kenny. I don’t mean that as any disrespect to Johnny,” he says. “Owen has a wide range of goals in him.”
His former coach also sees the move to Hibernian as a good fit — he has already made his Scottish Premiership debut off the bench for the club against Rangers — and regards him as a potential future Ireland international if he can maintain his current trajectory and avoid injuries.
“It’s a really proud day for us to see players move and to think that we have two lads from the same village, 10 or 15 minutes outside Sligo town, [to have played] in the Scottish Premiership,” adds O’Grady.
“[Other] lads that have come through here and are playing in the first team are around the league — Shamrock Rovers, Bohemians and Shelbourne. The coaches here are doing brilliant work, and we hope that it continues.
“And look, our club needs the academy. We don’t have the big bucks that the other clubs have. So we have to produce players to play for the first team.”
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The latest Irish teenage sensation to move across the water
FROM A young age, Owen Elding was considered a high-potential player.
The 19-year-old attacker was just 12 when he joined Sligo Rovers after a successful trial, having already lined out for a Mayo League representative team.
Born in England, Elding had lived most of his life in the county and was also a keen GAA player, winning medals with Ardkeeran Primary School in Riverstown as a youngster.
His father, Anthony, had a long career in the game, representing Stockport County, Leeds United and Ferencváros at various points, before moving to Sligo in 2013.
Elding Sr promptly established himself as a fan favourite at the Showgrounds, scoring 20 goals in 43 appearances for the Bit O’Red, including a short second stint in 2015.
In 67 appearances for Sligo, Owen would fall just shy of his father’s tally, registering 16 goals in all competitions.
Conor O’Grady, himself a former Sligo player, is now their Head of Academy and was U15s coach at the time of Owen Elding’s arrival.
“I’d obviously heard about him [before he signed],” O’Grady says. “I suppose in this town, it’s not a big place. You’d hear about a fella or a girl fairly quickly. If there’s a good nine or 10-year-old, there’s a good chance I’ll know their name, or someone in the club will.
“A lot of the refs locally are good — they’d ring or text me if they’ve seen someone that they think is exceptional.
“They’re probably Rovers season ticket holders or fans. So they’ll be like: ‘You need to get a look at this fella.”
Elding was part of a “good group” that also included Daire Patton, Kyle McDonagh and Kyle Gabbidon, who have all since graduated to the first team.
From the outset, there was natural talent there, complemented by a tireless work ethic and footballing intelligence. In addition, Elding’s “beautiful left foot,” which has been the source of some spectacular goals, was already apparent.
Although, of course, he was far from the finished product.
“He had a lot of growing to do, on and off the pitch,” says O’Grady. “But you knew he had the mentality for it; he was so focused. And that probably came from his dad’s involvement in football.
“His dad would have helped him a lot along the way, in terms of coaching and advising him. Obviously, playing in a similar position, even though I think Owen is a very different player.
“He was a little bit slow, and that might have been due to some of the growth [to come]. I think he’s got quicker over the years, but he would have been working on these things, big time. He wasn’t as quick and athletic as he is now.
“He wasn’t as good on his right foot, just small little things. I suppose, at 12, no one is perfect.
“I’d be more worried if they weren’t technically able, and he was technically able from a young age.”
Elding also spent two seasons at Longford Town, where his father coached, joining as “a matter of convenience” and helping them win the Tier 3 U17 league title in 2022, before returning to Sligo the following year.
O’Grady adds that a calm temperament ensured Elding never got fazed by the inevitable hype owing to his exploits in the Premier Division.
Just over two months after turning 17, he made his debut as an 88th-minute substitute in May 2023 amid a 3-0 home loss to Shelbourne.
O’Grady says it was not a decision they put considerable thought into. Instead, it was a case of needs must, with the squad depleted by injuries.
“We don’t have the budgets of the bigger clubs,” he says. “He was obviously going well, but we had to throw him in.
“The first season here, from his own admission, he was only getting used to it. I would have said he did okay, but I knew from watching him underage that there was more there. And I think the year of training with the first team would have done a lot for him, and that settling-in period of playing a couple of games, he came on a lot.”
The virtues of patience were especially evident in Elding’s case, as he grew both psychologically and physically. Despite scoring “70 or 80 goals in the academy easily,” he made five senior appearances in the 2023 campaign and a further 22 in 2024, without finding the net.
Last year, however, proved to be his breakout campaign, with 12 goals in 35 Premier Division appearances, as well as being named PFAI Young Player of the Year, Sligo Rovers Player of the Year and securing a place in the PFAI Premier Division Team of the Year.
“The first goal was huge,” says O’Grady. “That was the real stepping stone.
“Last year in the first few games, you could see he had gone from a boy to a man, even in stature.”
He continues: “The likelihood of us winning trophies in the academy is small . . . It’s not important for us.
“When we see a player from the boys or girls, going through the pathway and making the first team debut, that’s our trophy.”
Elding also demonstrated versatility at Sligo. In addition to operating as a centre forward, he sometimes played on the right wing, having started as a left winger in his early days.
Primarily, though, O’Grady sees him as a goalscorer.
“He’s probably the most natural finisher we’ve ever had in the academy ahead of Johnny Kenny. I don’t mean that as any disrespect to Johnny,” he says. “Owen has a wide range of goals in him.”
His former coach also sees the move to Hibernian as a good fit — he has already made his Scottish Premiership debut off the bench for the club against Rangers — and regards him as a potential future Ireland international if he can maintain his current trajectory and avoid injuries.
Elding’s progression, too, is an encouraging sign for Sligo Rovers’ academy, with the Bit O’Red also producing Ireland international Kenny, who recently completed a loan move from Celtic to Bolton Wanderers.
“It’s a really proud day for us to see players move and to think that we have two lads from the same village, 10 or 15 minutes outside Sligo town, [to have played] in the Scottish Premiership,” adds O’Grady.
“[Other] lads that have come through here and are playing in the first team are around the league — Shamrock Rovers, Bohemians and Shelbourne. The coaches here are doing brilliant work, and we hope that it continues.
“And look, our club needs the academy. We don’t have the big bucks that the other clubs have. So we have to produce players to play for the first team.”
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