Sligo Rovers are thrilled to confirm that the club have reached a deal with Shelbourne which will see exciting young winger Ryan O’Kane spend the rest of the current season at the Showgrounds.
O’Kane, 21, arrives at Rovers on a loan deal and will be eligible for Saturday’s clash with Shamrock Rovers at the Showgrounds. The Louth native is the fourth new addition to John Russell’s squad, after Seb Quirk, Paddy McClean and fellow loanee James McManus all agreed individual deals.
Predominately a left sided attacker, O’Kane can also operate on the right side and will be a valuable asset for Russell as Rovers face into the remainder of the season.
The Dundalk man began his career at Irish League side Warrenpoint having been brought up through the local leagues with Glenmuir, Rock Celtic and Bellurgan. A notable talent from a young age, O’Kane made his Irish League debut for Warrenpoint against Larne at just 15.
He went on to sign for his hometown club, arriving at Oriel Park in 2021 and spent four seasons with the Lilywhites before being snapped up by current Premier Division champions Shels last November.
“I heard Rovers were interested at the start of June and I spoke to John and was really excited about what he had to say and what his plans were”, he tells sligorovers.com.
“Both for myself and the club. It was a no-brainer for me to come here.
“I’ve kept an eye on things here and I have been impressed with what I’ve seen. The football Rovers play suits me as it’s an attacking style. The fans can expect to see a lot of direct, attacking football when I get on the ball. I always want to take players on and get shots and crosses off when I can. I want to excite the supporters.
“We’re going to try and gain as much ground on the teams above us as possible. There are plenty of games and time left and of course we have the FAI Cup to look forward to in Dundalk in a few weeks.”
Bit O’Red boss Russell is delighted to add O’Kane to the roster. He says: “I love Ryan’s mentality, just from speaking to him. He is hungry to come up here to Rovers and show people how good he is. I’m sure our fans will be excited to see what he brings.
“Ryan is an exciting player. He offers pace, trickery and directness to the team. We’ve added one of the best young talents in the league and we’re delighted with this bit of business.
“We also have to thank Shels and in particular Luke Byrne, their technical director for his assistance. They trust us with his development and the move certainly suits both parties at the moment.”
David Goulden