CORK NATIVE AARON Drinan is set to become the latest player to leave the SSE Airtricity League for a club in England.
The 19-year-old striker will join former Ireland manager Mick McCarthy at Ipswich Town when the transfer window officially opens in January.
After learning his trade with Carrigaline United and Cobh Ramblers, Drinan moved to Cork City and scored for their U19 side against both HJK Helsinki and AS Roma in last season’s Uefa Youth League campaign.
Having not made a first-team league appearance for City, he moved to Waterford at the end of July. He played six times as the Blues sealed promotion back to the top flight by winning the First Division title.
Less than three months after leaving Cork City, he’s now set to continue his career with Ipswich, who are currently in eighth place in the English Championship.
“Pretty much everything,” said McCarthy, when asked by reporters what he likes about Drinan. “He’s been in and trained with us. He’s here with us now. Very pleased with him.
“We expect to sign him in January. He trained with us and didn’t look out of place. That’s the reason we took him in. I’m looking forward to working with him. I think he will eventually be a first-team player.”
According to the East Anglian Daily Times, Ipswich will pay Waterford €100,000 for Drinan. Another Waterford player, 18-year-old John Martin, has also been training with Ipswich but McCarthy said: “At this moment in time there’s nothing happening on that one.”
Great game City keeper had a blinder!!! 1300 for an U19 game on a Wednesday night and there were 400 at Richmond Park for Pats v City on Monday…laughable
Be interesting to see what the attendance would have been if the Liverpool Man U game was on tonight instead of Monday.
True but even tonight City v Barcelona on tonight too
Very few irish ppl support Man City compared to Utd and Lpool. Just goes to show that irish ppl are event junkies. We love special occasions like these or going over to england to see a game, but when it comes to the average humdrum LOI fixture ppl are less enthusiastic.
City Barcelona is no comparison to Liverpool United for the Irish football fan
Are you saying there are more Irish fans supporting Man City and Barca than Man Utd and Liverpool??
U19 and U17 leagues were a fantastic idea well done cork
Great support. Well done Cork.
Is there a group stage or is it just a continous 2 leg knockout?? Btw fair play to cork
They play Roma in a 2 leg play-off and the winner goes to the group stage
Ah sound. Hope they get through
The winners of the next leg play the runners up of the Champions league groups, then the winners of that game play the winners of the champions league groups.
Well done Cork.
No Kenny Browne in sight Darren you’d have been delighted
Yes….. You have a lot of decent footballers there. No room for chubby checkers anywhere! Posh boy….you weren’t the lad on about goal difference between Dundalk and Cork defences were you yesterday? Less said about the MASSIVE +3 goals between teams the better.
@Darren Sheils: No it wasn’t me anyway haha
Great stuff from City.I’ll have to book the holiday to Rome.
That’s a tight net. Well done CCFC
Great support and an unbelievable result! Fair play Cork, they’ll continue to be a top side with this young talent coming through!