One of Sligo Rovers’ most promising young players, Seamus Keogh, has signed for English Premier League club Southampton.
The former Benbulben FC clubman has played for Rovers’ U15 and U17 teams over the past three years, helping the Bit O’ Red reach last year’s U17 cup final.
He moves to the Southampton academy for undisclosed terms.
He has captained the Republic of Ireland U15 and U16 level.
Head of Youth Development at Sligo Rovers, Danny O’Leary said: “This is a terrific opportunity for Seamus, and one he has thoroughly earned.
“The move was on the cards for quite a while and the club are happy with the agreement made. While we are sorry to lose him as a Sligo Rovers player, a Premier League academy is a chance for Seamus to continue his growth as a player and we respect that.
“His attitude and commitment have been second to none. I want to thank Seamus and his parents. Conor O’Grady and Marcel Gordon gave Seamus excellent coaching for the U-15s and likewise all the staff at the U-17s and his previous club Benbulben FC offered a great grounding.
“As he moves over, we offer our very best wishes to Seamus.
“Our goal is to develop players for Sligo Rovers and at the moment we are seeing the rewards with many of our Under-19s graduating to the first team and younger levels attracting interest from abroad. That work will continue with the aim of producing players with benefits for them and Sligo Rovers.”
