Sligo Rovers can confirm that defender Eanna Clancy has left the club to take up a full-time football scholarship at University College Dublin.

Clancy joined Rovers’ Academy from Manorhamilton Rangers and signed his first professional contract last August, making 16 appearances, scoring once against Cork City earlier this season at The Showgrounds.

The Leitrim native has made ten appearances so far in 2023 however has missed the last month or so with a hamstring injury.

Manager John Russell said:

‘’I’d like to wish Eanna the best of luck on his move to UCD. Having spoken to Eanna last year, I knew this was an opportunity he was likely to take up.

‘’Eanna came up through our academy and broke into the first team squad last year.

‘’This season he has played a lot of games and gained a huge amount of experience.

‘’He has shown great promise for such a young player and I’m sure he will have a great career ahead of him’’.

Speaking to sligorovers.com, Eanna admits it was a tough decision but ultimately one he felt was the right move at this point in his life:

‘’I’d like to say a massive thank you to all the great people working in the Academy and the club for developing me as a player and as a person from when I joined the club as a 14-year-old.

‘’I wish the players and staff all the best for the rest of the season and I want to say a huge thank you to the supporters and all the volunteers for all the work they do at the club and for making me feel so welcome.

”I will never forget my debut last season and the experience I have had in the past few years involved with this great club and I am not excited about the challenge ahead both Academically and on the pitch’’.

Everyone at Sligo Rovers would like to wish Eanna the very best of luck in his future academy and football career and we thank him for his service to the club.