Cork City striker on the move as Dundalk lose midfielder to rivals

Cork City striker Mark O’Sullivan is leaving Turners’ Cross, with Waterford FC reported to be his destination, writes Stephen Barry.

A member of the 2015 PFAI Team of the Year, he had fallen behind Sean Maguire in the pecking order last season, although his final appearance, as an extra-time substitute, saw him pick-up an FAI Cup medal.

The 33 year old will return to work and part-time football having scored 25 times in 88 league appearances for the three-in-a-row Airtricity League runners-up.

The Evening Echo has reported that O’Sullivan is heading to Waterford FC, who were recently obtained by Swindon Town owner Lee Power.

 

Cork City boss John Caulfield said: “Marky has been fantastic for us since he came in. He would have been relatively unknown to a lot of people but he took the league by storm in his first season and he has been a key member of our squad over the last three years.

“At this stage in his life, he is going back to full-time work outside of football, so he has decided to return to part-time football.

“Myself and John Cotter worked with Marky for a number of years in non-league football also. He was the top amateur player in the country for many years and, although he came relatively late to League of Ireland, he showed the ability and quality that we all know he has.

“It was a real pleasure to see how he took to League of Ireland football and how the Cork City fans took to him as well. On behalf of everyone at the club, I would like to thank Marky for his hard work and dedication to the club and wish him the very best of luck in the future.”

Elsewhere, Shamrock Rovers confirmed the signing of Dundalk midfielder Ronan Finn.

Finn, who turns 29 tomorrow, won the league with Rovers in 2011 before joining Dundalk for the 2015 season, where he won back-to-back titles.

He follows Daryl Horgan and Andy Boyle out the Oriel Park exit door, after that duo moved to Preston North End.

“Ronan is a top player, one of the best in the league so we’re absolutely delighted he’s signed for us,” said Rovers boss Stephen Bradley.

“He’s been one of the best in the league the last decade and I think we have him at the perfect age. He’s matured a lot so it’s perfect for us.

“We’ve a strong midfield now and I won’t make any apologies for that, that’s really where games are won and lost for me. No matter how many we play, whether it’s 2/3/4 midfielders we have a lot of experience. The younger players will learn from that and they’ll be delighted.

“The younger players in our team will benefit from seeing how Ronan conducts himself on and off the pitch. We have 10 players aged under 19 who can only gain from the experience that Ronan will bring to the side.

“We’ve a lot of strong characters inside the dressing room and Ronan is also a strong character. The players that we have managed to retain are leaders and the new signings can also be leaders in the team.

“We have to build a team around Ronan [Finn], he’s one of the best in the league. He wants to play for us for the right reasons, not for the money that’s been quoted. He wants to play for us because he’s a top player. We have a wage structure here and we’re still within the budget.

“He’s an exciting player and I can’t wait to have him playing for us.”