ST PATRICKโS 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 Patโs 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 Lampardโs 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 Patโs 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.
๐ฝ๐๐๐๐ ๐พ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ฟ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ผ๐๐๐๐๐
— St Patrick's Athletic FC (@stpatsfc) July 4, 2022
Darragh Burns has joined English League 1 side @MKDonsFC for an undisclosed fee
"๐๐ฎ ๐ฉ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ฉ ๐๐ฉ ๐๐๐ฉ'๐จ ๐ฌ๐๐จ ๐จ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐ก!โ
Watch his full interview below or read more here โก๏ธ https://t.co/azXNPf9V45 pic.twitter.com/Zg2otHgf0s
Got it over the line โ๏ธ๐คฉ pic.twitter.com/hlpl5SeuXS
— Milton Keynes Dons (@MKDonsFC) July 4, 2022
โIโm over the moon,โ said Burns.
โAs a kid when I was in the St Patโs 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 Iโm so excited to get going. St Patโs have been very good to me and Iโve really enjoyed my years at the club.
โIโll really miss the club and it was great to able to say goodbye to the fans and players and staff on Friday.
โItโs time for a new challenge now and I canโt wait to get going.โ
โDarragh has been absolutely brilliant for us, a terrific player with a great attitude and we wish him the very very best,โ remarked St Patโs Technical Director Alan Matthews.
โItโs 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.
โHe 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.โ
The42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!