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Sammie Szmodics celebrating a goal for Peterborough last year. PA

Uncapped Ireland call-up Szmodics joins Blackburn from Peterborough

The attacking midfielder missed out on a first cap last year through injury.

ATTACKING MIDFIELDER SAMMIE Szmodics has joined English Championship side Blackburn Rovers from League One Peterborough for an undisclosed fee.

The English-born 26-year-old, who qualifies to play for the Republic of Ireland through his Longford-born grandmother, earned his first call-up under Stephen Kenny in May of last year for the fixtures with Andorra and Hungary, the latter of whom he also qualifies to represent through one of his grandfathers.

Szmodics said of his Ireland call-up at the time that he was “over the moon to receive my first international call-up for a nation that is close to mine and my family’s hearts.” However, a shoulder injury dictated that he miss out on a first Irish cap.

Szmodics had posted career-best stats in the season leading to his call-up by Kenny, scoring 15 goals and adding six assists as Peterborough earned promotion to England’s second tier. They were sent back down last season, however, with Szmodics finding the net six times and laying on an assist in the Championship.

His performances, however, were enough to turn the head of Blackburn’s scouts, and former Champions League winner Jon Dahl Tomasson has today made Szmodics his fourth signing of the season after the arrivals of Callum Britain and Ethan Walker from Barnsley and Preston respectively, as well as the loan signing of Liverpool’s Tyler Morton.

Author
Gavan Casey
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