Waterford FC have lost their star striker Ronan Coughlan, who has his heart set on making a move to England.
Coughlan, 27, had an unbelievable campaign for the Blues after joining them last February.
He scored 37 times in all competitions, breaking the SSE Airtricity First Division goalscoring and all-time Waterford record for the number of goals scored in a single season as the team earned promotion to the top flight. He was also twice named the SSE Airtricity/Soccer Writers Ireland Player of the Month.
In November, Coughlan left the door open for a switch abroad, saying: "I said before signing for Waterford and even at St Pat's that I wanted to play at the highest possible level. Whether that’s in this country or abroad, I’ve always strived to do that since being a young fella."
He has been linked with Waterford's sister club Fleetwood Town, who are currently second bottom in League One.
Waterford confirmed on Thursday night that he won't be part of their squad in 2024, with head coach Keith Long adding: "We're disappointed to see Ronan leave but the club did everything we could to secure Ronan for next season. He was outstanding last season, but he’s made it clear he wants to play in England again.
"Of course we’re sorry to see Ronan go, he was excellent last season for the club but we wish him well."
Elsewhere, Rob Cornwall [above] has returned to Bohemians after two seasons in the USA with Northern Colorado Hailstorm.
The 29-year-old centre-half played 54 times and scored four goals for the US third-tier outfit and is now back for a second stint with the Dublin side, having spent five seasons at Dalymount Park between 2017 and 2021.
"I am delighted to be back," Cornwall said. "To be honest, it was eating away at me when I was away that I always wanted to come back and play for Bohs again.
"There were other clubs who approached me but if Bohs wanted me, I was always going to sign back here. It was tough watching from afar, and there was no other club that I wanted to sign for.
"When I was here before, the club was growing and it’s grown even further in the two years I have been away. You can see it with the support the club is getting, selling out every week, that it is a massive club, and for me as a player, it’s the place to be."
Bohemians boss Declan Devine revealed he tried to sign Cornwall last year. He expressed relief at getting his man for the 2024 campaign and said work is ongoing behind the scenes to bring in more fresh faces over the next few weeks, having snapped up winger Dayle Rooney from Drogheda United in November.
"I'm delighted to get Rob over the line," said Devine, who had his team back in pre-season training today.
"He was in training with us this time last year but his circumstances weren’t quite right for him to come home at that time. But we have remained in touch since. He did really well for us when he took part in pre-season last year, so he knows how we work, he knows our set-up, and he knows so many of the staff and players here already."
