IRELAND U21 international Ollie O’Neill has left Fulham to join Leyton Orient for an undisclosed fee.
The 21-year-old has signed a two-and-a-half-year deal for the side who are currently ninth in League One.
O’Neill last year joined Derry City on loan, scoring once in 19 Premier Division appearances for the club in what was his first taste of senior football.
The London-born winger was previously named Fulham’s Scholar of the Year for 2021 and registered seven goals and five assists in 12 appearances for their U21 side last season.
The move ends eight years at Fulham, while O’Neill began his youth career at Brentford in 2010.
“I’m really excited to be starting the next chapter of my career at Leyton Orient, a club that feels like it has got real momentum behind it at the moment,” O’Neill told the club’s website.
“I know that this is the right time for me to leave the nest of academy football. I had a good taste of senior football last season and now I’m ready to challenge myself in League One. I like to play wide, get on the ball, and create lots of chances for myself and my teammates.”
New boss Richie Wellens added: “He is someone that we have been aware of for a while and we were really impressed with him in our EFL Trophy game against Fulham earlier this season.
“In the last few weeks, Ollie has trained with us, which I’m really grateful to Fulham and Lingy [Martin Ling] for organising that, so we already know a bit about him.
“He is someone who likes to get on the ball and make things happen.”
It wasn’t tongue in cheek though. Crook has has several discussions on his shows about this. Fair play to Ferguson for slapping that down the way he did
It was a question and he answered it perfectly. My god… the drama.
@IrishOwl: the same question he has answered a few times already.with crook been the “chief football correspondent” thought he would know the answer coming better than most.he was 100% been smart and trying make light of it now. Gobsh**t for talksh**t.
@Paully kells: think your a bitter man paulie. always angry. maybe open a beer and relax a bit.
We have had our fair share of English born players playing for Ireland, not to mention the hatred towards two current English internationals who were born and grew up in England. We had a CEO that wanted to be the 33rd team in a world cup. Don’t think we’re in any position to criticize these questions.
@Louise Murphy: he’s not bitter at all Lou, I enjoy Paullys comments here and on this occasion he is right. Mute him if it annoys you.
@Louise Murphy: not atal..but I’d say the young lad is getting rather sick of the same question over and over..he’s made it clear…take care
Why do the Sky sports commentators pronounce the foreign player’s names properly eg Henry or Pires , bit they don’t pay the irish player’s the same respect eg Moran, Kernaghan, Hourihane (though they do pronounce this name properly now since he took them up on it live on television)?
@Louis Jacob: Probably for the same reason Hollywood can’t do the Irish accent.
@Louis Jacob: bit they dont?
The Brits have such a polite way of being ignorant.
I suspect a lot of German fans would like to see Harry Kane line out for them. But the English wouldn’t take it too well if he was constantly pestered about it. Tin ear stuff really..
Crook-cheif football correspondent for talk sh**t he hasn’t much between the ears,and he knows damn well he was been disrespectful, well done to Evan with he’s reply put him into place.
The audacity of that question !!
Ignorant on so many levels. Ferguson is ineligible for England now. He doesn’t feel English at all. He is Irish and proud, born and bred here with an Irish father. Yes his mother is English but very disrespectful to be still asking him now.
Talk Sport is trash!
And Rice can’t remember singing come out you black and tans now
I’m all mixed up regarding the rules, does anyone actually know what they are?
You don’t hear them asking any of the English players why they are committed to England……..
A lit bit of English mischief to get some harmless revenge for the abuse Rice and Grealish got when they switched over.
@John Pembroke: deserved all the abuse they got, pair of shitehawks