GERMAN SIDE SCHALKE have signed 16-year-old goalkeeper Dan Rose on a long-term contract.
Rose, a Republic of Ireland U17 international, will begin life at the Bundesliga club as part of their U19 squad.
The English-born youngster, whose mother is Irish, had been playing at Everton, whose offer of a new contract he rejected in order to move to Germany.
“Delighted to sign for Schalke, can’t wait to get started!” he wrote on Instagram.
Rose helped the Ireland U17s to advance to the next stage of the European Championship qualifiers by playing in last November’s wins over Andorra, Montenegro and Israel.
Colin O’Brien’s side were then drawn in a group with Slovakia, Scotland and Czech Republic for the elite phase of qualification, which was due to take place in March.
However, those fixtures – and the tournament itself, which was scheduled to begin in Estonia in May – were all cancelled due to Covid-19.
Rose becomes the third Irish underage international on the books of a Bundesliga club, joining 17-year-old Wolfsburg defender Anselmo Garcia-MacNulty and 19-year-old Borussia Mönchengladbach attacker Conor Noss.
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Delighted. They have been playing excellent rugby all season, and fully deserve to be in the champions cup, not to mention in the playoffs!
@Joe Vlogs: Agree great for Italian rugby and the league overall.
No one calling to have the Italians removed form the league anymore. Hopefully this works out well and Italian rugby gets more exposure and Benetton can build a larger fanbase.
@Kingshu: agreed but in the same breath everyone will be hoping for them in their group in the champions cup. Delighted for them and they have earned it.
Great news for Conor O’Shea too. Fair play to all of them, refusing to give up on themselves.
Well done, Benetton. Delighted for them.
Conor O Shea’s handy work
@Fred McHugh: Does he actually have any input as how Benetton are coached though? He’s not listed on their coaching ticket. I’ve seen a few plaudits thrown his way this year when they’ve done well and tbh they read a little like the ‘Lancaster’s Leinster’ headlines you see in the English papers.
@Pete McEvoy:
Interesting point !!
@Pete McEvoy: o Sheas job is a top down rebuild of Italian rugby. He is over everything rugby in Italy.
That’s class. Well done!
Would be some scalp if the beat Munster in Quarter final
@BMJF: and as leinster well know, they’re tricky opponents