ST PATRICK’S ATHLETIC player Darragh Burns has joined English League One side MK Dons.

19-year-old Burns has made the move for an undisclosed fee, having joined the St Pat’s Academy in 2018 as a 15-year-old.

He won the U17 League of Ireland in 2019 and the U19 League of Ireland in 2020, scoring the winner in the league final against Bohemians.

Burns made his first senior appearance in July 2019 aged 16, coming off the bench in a friendly against UEFA Europa League champions Chelsea at a sold out Richmond Park, in what was Frank Lampard’s second game in charge of Chelsea.

Having signed his first professional contract at the start of the 2020 season, Burns made his league debut off the bench against Derry City in August 2020.

He started the famous FAI Cup final win against Bohemians in front of almost 40,000 supporters at The Aviva last November, adding the cup to his trophy haul at St Pat’s and helping the club qualify for the UEFA Europa Conference League qualifiers.

In total Burns made 61 senior appearances for the club, scoring 11 times.

𝘽𝙐𝙍𝙉𝙎 𝘾𝙊𝙈𝙋𝙇𝙀𝙏𝙀𝙎 𝙈𝙆 𝘿𝙊𝙉𝙎 𝙏𝙍𝘼𝙉𝙎𝙁𝙀𝙍

Darragh Burns has joined English League 1 side @MKDonsFC for an undisclosed fee

"𝙈𝙮 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙖𝙩 𝙎𝙩 𝙋𝙖𝙩'𝙨 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡!”

Watch his full interview below or read more here ➡️ https://t.co/azXNPf9V45 pic.twitter.com/Zg2otHgf0s

— St Patrick's Athletic FC (@stpatsfc) July 4, 2022

Got it over the line ✍️🤩 pic.twitter.com/hlpl5SeuXS

— Milton Keynes Dons (@MKDonsFC) July 4, 2022

“I’m over the moon,” said Burns.

“As a kid when I was in the St Pat’s Academy I always said I wanted to try to get to England. I think MK Dons is the right fit for me, they play great football and I’m so excited to get going. St Pat’s have been very good to me and I’ve really enjoyed my years at the club.

“I’ll really miss the club and it was great to able to say goodbye to the fans and players and staff on Friday.

“It’s time for a new challenge now and I can’t wait to get going.”

“Darragh has been absolutely brilliant for us, a terrific player with a great attitude and we wish him the very very best,” remarked St Pat’s Technical Director Alan Matthews.

“It’s a great opportunity for him and I think that he can play at a very high level and if continues to work and develop his game as no doubt he will.

“He has been a terrific example to and role model for the young players at the club and has rightly earned himself a move to the UK. He goes with our best wishes and we have every belief that Darragh will go from strength to strength.”

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