WEST BROMWICH ALBION are keen to keep Dara O’Shea at the club, with manager Slaven Bilic confirming that the young Irish defender has been offered a new contract.
O’Shea has made the first-team breakthrough this season for the Championship leaders, who he joined from St Kevin’s Boys at the age of 16.
The centre-back, who will turn 21 in March, made his debut in the Carabao Cup in August. A first league appearance followed last month, with the Dubliner’s most recent outing coming in the FA Cup third-round victory over Charlton Athletic.
“He has been offered a new contract, definitely,” Bilic said, as reported by the Express & Star. “I have said from the start, from July, that he is the present and the future of the club.
“I love Dara O’Shea. We all love him. But forget how nice he is as a kid, I love Dara as a football player.
“In the summer, we lost three players in that position – [Craig] Dawson, [Mason] Holgate and [Tosin] Adarabioyo, plus [Ahmed] Hegazi had surgery. But we only brought in one. The club wanted to bring in more, and the only reason we didn’t was Dara.
“From day one, he showed dedication, motivation, readiness to learn and, more than anything, potential and quality.”
As well as progressing with his club, O’Shea has become a key player for his country at U21 level. He featured in 10 of the 12 games played by Stephen Kenny’s side in 2019, taking the captain’s armband in the absence of Jayson Molumby for the win in Armenia.
O’Shea, who impressed on loan with League Two side Exeter City last season, also displayed his versatility by filling in at right-back in West Brom’s aforementioned 1-0 win at Charlton.
Bilic added: “We wanted to test him in that right-back position. With the injury to Nathan [Ferguson], that position has become a bit more fragile – or not as secure.
“I had no doubts but you still have to see him there. It was only theory, it was only I think you can do it but he proved us right.”
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Dave Barry was pure class. Won 2 All Irelands and scored for Cork City in Europe, against the likes of Galatasaray, and during a famous draw with Bayern Munich – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CUVBzMhm_w
Great footage. A hint of offside!! Big Sam had a ‘mare by the looks of things. Turners cross has come on alot – the shed was literally.. a shed
Im fairness to Sam he was down a few players and had to play himself. He was late 30s and the jerseys barely fit him. We played the most attractive football that season with a youth team and some old pros winning the first division easily. I was sad to see him go. But the weekly bucket collection door to door that he himself had to partake in had an effect on him. Fondly remembered.in limerick
Decent crowd
Great to see the way the cross was back in the day. City had a handy team back then.
That would be Cormac Kanchelskis to give him his correct title.