Dundalk have announced the signing of goalkeeper George Shelvey from Nottingham Forest on a permanent deal, pending international clearance.
The Lilywhites have been on the lookout for a goalkeeper to replace Nathan Shepperd, who has departed after a two-year spell as the club's first-choice stopper.
Shelvey was named on the bench for two of Forest's Premier League fixtures last season, as well as a Carabao Cup semi-final second leg defeat to Manchester United.
"We are delighted to announce the signing of goalkeeper George Shelvey from Nottingham Forest, pending international clearance," said a Dundalk FC statement.
"The 22-year-old arrives at Oriel Park on a permanent transfer ahead of the start of the 2024 SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division season on Friday night.
"After signing for his hometown club in the summer of 2018, Shelvey helped Forest's Premier League 2 side to the play-off final in 2022 and had brief loan spells at Truro City, Wealdstone and Mansfield Town.
"He was drafted into Forest’s first-team squad during the 2022/23 season, where he trained alongside international goalkeepers Keylor Navas, Dean Henderson and Wayne Hennessy."
Shelvey has spoken of his excitement at joining up with his new club, as they look to improve on last season's fifth-place finish.
"Forest spoke to me when the transfer window opened and said that Dundalk were really interested in signing me," he said.
"I just kept my focus on training and playing and tried to let other people sort it out but I knew in the back of my mind that coming here would be a big step for me.
"I spoke to a couple of the Irish lads at Forest and they told me that the League of Ireland is very competitive and every game is a tough environment."
"It's time for me to play every week and show people what I can do and try and achieve stuff at Dundalk. It’s a massive club with a rich history and I can’t wait to get going."
Dundalk head coach Stephen O'Donnell was equally delighted at getting the deal over the line.
"George is a player we have been looking at for a long time so we're delighted to have brought him to Dundalk and we’re looking forward to getting him integrated into the group," he said.
"He has been in and around a Premier League environment, trained with many top keepers and is at a good age to establish a career for himself so we are looking for him to come in and make a big impact."
Dundalk kick off their 2024 campaign with a visit to champions Shamrock Rovers on Friday night, a meeting which will be broadcast live on RTÉ2.
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