RYAN O’KANE HAS signed a new two-year contract with Dundalk, the club have announced.
The 19-year-old has enjoyed a breakthrough couple of months with the club, scoring his first goal for Dundalk in the FAI Cup defeat of Wexford in August, before finding the net in Premier Division games against St Patrick’s Athletic and Sligo Rovers and establishing himself as an important member of the squad.
“I’m absolutely buzzing,” O’Kane told dundalkfc.com.
“It’s been in the air for the past few weeks and I’m delighted we’ve got it over the line.
“I think things will only get better at the club over the next couple of years and I think I will improve in this environment. I still have loads to learn and I’ll be working very hard over the winter and the off-season to come back next year and try and get better.”
O’Kane’s goal against St Pats earlier this month saw the attacker become the first local-born player to score a league goal for Dundalk since Tiarnan Mulvenna in 2013.
🏁 Great news this evening.
— Dundalk FC (@DundalkFC) October 24, 2022
✍🏼 Ryan O'Kane has signed a new two-year contract with the club.#OKane #2024 #CmonTheTown
“When you hear things like that, it makes you burst with pride,” O’Kane added.
“When I was 14 or 15, and the team was doing so well in Europe, there wasn’t really any local lads in the team so it makes me really proud to pull on the jersey.”
“Ryan’s a local lad who has come through the Dundalk Schoolboys League and our academy and he’ll give every young player in and around Dundalk hope,” added Dundalk manager Stephen O’Donnell.
“He was telling me that all of his friends go to our games and stand in The Shed and that’s brilliant. You can’t buy those sort of feelings and emotions and it does mean that extra bit more when you have a young lad from Dundalk in the team.
“Supporters know his family, his background, his parents and his grandparents and there is a real connection and identity when he scores.
“It’s important for us to have as much of a local input as we can but players have to be good enough and Ryan has shown that he is more than good enough.
“Ryan has far outweighed my expectations. He had a slow start to the season and went down to the U19s but he showed a great attitude, forced his way back into the reckoning with the way he was training, and has gone from strength to strength.
“He is on a crest of a wave at the minute and it was important that we got him tied down. He is a pleasure to work with. He loves the game for its purity and you can see that in the way he plays.
“The thing for him now is to keep working as hard as he can and try and improve even more over the next couple of years.”
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Interesting combination of locks and backrows for Australia with 5 guys who’s primary position is lock in the 23 and then Naisarani who’s 6’5 at 8. I guess that means Australia are looking at New Zealands issues from 1 through 6 and deciding that’s the best way to take them on.
@Eddie Hekenui: I have a feeling Australia will target the nz lineout. Having Savea at 6 reduces their lineout options(he adds massively at the bd and in the loose obviously) and with Australia loading up in that area I can see them trying to disrupt the nz lineout and use their own lineout and maul in attack. Be a fascinating watch how that particular area goes.
@Eddie Hekenui: good
@Eddie Hekenui: good
@Eddie Hekenui: good to see Luke Jones back in the mix. He was phenomenal when he broke through for the rebels a few years back. Exciting hybrid lock to watch.
@Ian Verdon: Yeah I’ve just seen the NZ team. Read is a good lineout operator so they’ll still have 3 options but not as strong as usual where they’ve had 4 and Retalick as banker ball. I’m just surprised Australia went with Latu ahead of Faingaa who was pretty lethal off the back of the Brumbies maul this season. Rodda had a strong season attacking opposition ball so I can see him trying to go after NZ ball. Lots of teams will be watching with interest to see if they can dominate in the set piece and how that affects the game because there are far stronger tight 5′s out there than Australia.
@Jim Demps: Yeah he’s an exciting player at his best but he’s been very up and done this year. I’d love to see him hit form again.
@Eddie Hekenui: yeah sure didn’t faingaa get into double figures this season in the try scoring column? I think all of which were at the back of the maul. Read is a very dependable lineout operator indeed, I think the lineout is certainly an area opposition teams will target. The Nz scrum isn’t the weapon it has been in the past yet by no means poor but SA in particular would be relishing that front 5 battle.
@Eddie Hekenui: If you’re going after the NZ lineout faingaa is not your man to play to hit those darts. Very wishy washy as was clearly evident against the jaguares in the super semis
@Liam Flague: He’s not perfect but he’s better than Latu and probably the best of a questionable bunch going on this seasons form. Brumbies had a strong lineout and a very dangerous maul with Faingaa being an important part of that. The last two times I’ve seen Latu play for Australia he’s fallen apart in the lineout. Against Wales in November they lost 4 or 5 lineouts and the last time he played NZ he lost 6 or 7 in 35 minutes.
I really like 11-15. Better centre pairing.
@Andrew H: it will be a great test to see where he’s at going toe to toe with one of the most in form and even at only 24 one of the best 13’s in the game. Can see goodhue using his power and exceptional running lines to ruffle O’Connor’s feathers.
NZ will stick to their usual strategy of pinning Aus in their half forcing them to run out.
Then scoring after with counter attacks from turnovers, while keeping the scoreboard ticking with penalties because of good defense. There is little Aus have in their arsenal to counter them, they will go down fighting like they always do.