Versatile midfielder Seb Quirk has signed a pre-contract agreement with Sligo Rovers and will officially join the club on July 1st subject to international clearance, the club can confirm.
The 23-year-old will join Rovers on an 18 month contract.
Quirk is primarily a central midfielder but can operate as a full-back on either side.
The Liverpool native joins Rovers after two and a half seasons with Accrington Stanley where he played over 40 league games.
Quirk came up through Everton’s academy where he first signed at the age of 11.
He joined Accrington Stanley in January 2023, and departed the club this summer when his contract expired.
As an Everton fan, Quirk has always kept a close eye on the Bit O’Red particularly in recent years when he played alongside former Rovers man Seamus Conneely at Accrington Stanley.
Quirk linked up with his Rovers team-mates this week, and although not eligible to play until July 1st, he has continued to train throughout the off-season to keep himself fit.
Speaking about his move to Sligo Rovers, Quirk told sligorovers.com: “I jumped on a Zoom call with John Russell a few weeks ago, spoke to him and I liked what he had to say so it seemed like a good place for me to come.
“It’s been really good, I’m really enjoying it. I’m in a house with two of the lads, they’re really sound. I like the training, we did the gym yesterday and the facilities are really good.
“When my season finished I went away for two weeks with my girlfriend but since I’ve come back I’ve been running and keeping fit so I am fit and ready. I just wanted to be ready for whatever came so I kept myself fit.”
Quirk explained what fans can expect to see from him.
“I’m athletic, I can get around the pitch quite well, I like a tackle! I don’t really do too many fancy things, I keep it simple and give it to the forward players who can do all of that.
“I’ve always been versatile really, even at Everton. I was always moved about because I’m quite tall and athletic. Last year I played left-back most of the year, in previous seasons I’ve played right back and central midfielder.”
As a big fan of Seamus Coleman, Quirk says he has closely followed Rovers’ progress over recent years.
“I’ve always known about Sligo Rovers and always kept an eye on them a little bit. I’m a big Everton fan, one of my favourite players growing up was Seamus Coleman so I’ve always kept an eye on Sligo Rovers.
“The last couple of years my captain at Accrington was Seamus Conneely and he’d speak about the club so I did keep an eye.”
Having signed an 18-month contract with Rovers, Quirk is settling in well to life in Sligo.
“It’s always good to get a longer contract so you can settle easier. I’ve settled in really well because everyone’s made me feel so welcome and I’m really grateful for that.”
Manager John Russell has been keeping an eye on Quirk’s progress in recent years, and believes the 23-year-old is a big addition to his Rovers side.
“I’ve known about Seb for a couple of seasons, I actually saw him playing live for Everton’s 23s, they were playing in an international cup at the time, I was over on a visit at Everton. He caught my eye in that game, there were probably two or players I was keeping an eye on since then.
“He got a move to Accrington, he’s played in League One and League Two. I think his profile will suit our league in terms of his physicality, he’s a central midfielder by trade but can also play full-back. Having that versatility with a small squad will be massively beneficial for us.
“I think if you asked Seb where’s his favoured position he’d say centre mid, that’s where he played coming up through the academy at Everton. He’s a big boy, he’s over six foot.
“He’s physical, he covers the ground. He has no problem playing full-back which is a real plus for us.”
And the Rovers boss believes that Quirk’s physical presence in midfield is exactly what Rovers need as they look to move further up the table.
“He definitely ticks the boxes in terms of having that physical presence in the middle of the park, he likes to put his foot in, he’s good on the ball as well. It’s the physical side that we need to get that balance with our group, we hope he’s going to make a big impact.
“At the end of last year we got a few players on two year deals, the likes of Will Fitzgerald, John Mahon, Jad Hakiki, Owen Elding signed a new deal, Wilson Waweru, you want to try and build a squad and a team going into a new season.
“Seb is someone that has seen the project with us. He’s 23, he’s a good age profile, and I think he’s going to be a player who will improve as he plays more games and I think our style will suit him and he’ll make a big impact.”
Russell is confident that the addition of Quirk will be a big help as Rovers look to pick up more wins and improve on the current league position.
“It’s important that we strengthen the squad, we know we need to improve our league position and I definitely think bringing in quality players raises the level and standards within the group and helps us win matches.
“We haven’t won enough games this year, I think the likes of Seb coming in early so he can train with the group so he’s ready come July 1st will be a big help.”
Jessica Farry