CORK CITY DEFENDER Jake O’Brien has completed a loan move to English Premier League club Crystal Palace.
The deal will run until June and includes an option to buy for the London outfit, who have added O’Brien to their U23 squad.
“I’m delighted,” O’Brien told Crystal Palace’s official website. “It’s a big move for me given where I’m from, the club I’m from. I can’t wait to get started.
“I’ve been speaking to Shaun Derry [academy manager] a lot over the last two days at the training ground. The facilities are all new – it’s a big step-up so it will be great to use them. It’s very professional and I can’t wait for it all to get started.”
The 19-year-old centre-back broke into Cork City’s first-team in 2019, before going on to make nine senior appearances for the Leesiders last season.
“This is a great opportunity for Jake and we wish him well,” Cork City manager Colin Healy said. “He came through schoolboy football in Cork, before progressing to our academy and then on to the first-team last season, and it is a good pathway for players.
“He’s a very good player and a great young lad, and we hope that this opportunity works out for him and that he goes on to have a fantastic career.”
It’s great to see the Irish boys get a chance to progress to being a professional footballer . But I have to say that the benefits to the clubs they leave , are very poor . Lately we see kids at clubs inEngland being transferred to other clubs and getting fee s in the millions bracket . The Roy Keane s , Seamus Coleman , enda stevens , etc have gone over and the money clubs here get for their services are laughable .Best of luck to this kid and maybe a hard bargain should’ve corks attitude and other clubs as well .
@Tricksy: always been the case and always will. the league is a basket case. one of the worst run leagues in Europe albeit with massive potential. the league missed a massive opportunity in the noughties for proper progression. miss management and lack of interest by the best supporters in the world and of course the fai have held the league back. would love to see the league prosper but that ship has sailed I’d say
Great opportunity for the lad and going by his performances for Cork City he has a bright future ahead of him! Best of luck!