Shamrock Rovers have signed goalkeeper Ed McGinty from English Championship outfit Oxford United on a multi-year contract.
McGinty, who spent 2024 impressing on loan at Sligo Rovers, becomes the Hoops' second signing since the end of the last campaign.
Former Bohemians winger Danny Grant agreed to join Stephen Bradley's side in November.
Speaking to the Shamrock Rovers website, McGinty admitted that the lure of European football with the most successful club in the land was a prospect too great to resist.
"It wasn’t too difficult leaving Oxford, but it was always difficult leaving Sligo Rovers," the 25-year-old said. "It’s been a big part of my life so that was a tough part.
"At the same time, Shamrock Rovers is the biggest club in Ireland, what they’ve done in Europe is incredible, so I want to come and help them and improve them.
"When Stephen rang me, I could sense his level of drive and ambition, and that matches mine. So, in a sense, it was an easy decision."
Bradley said: "We’ve been talking to Ed for some time, also talking to Oxford, and these things take time when he’s signed somewhere else.
"But we are delighted to get Ed in, he was the standout keeper in the league last season and he’s grown and matured over the years, so he’s a player we think will really help us grow."
Rovers now have four goalkeepers in their ranks, with Leon Pohls, Lee Stacey and Alex Noonan also at the club, and that could remain the case.
"You need competition for places all over the team and Ed will certainly bring that," Bradley added. "If you look at last season, we had Leon, Lee Stacey and Alex Noonan who were around it all the time.
"So, with Ed adding to that, I can see all four pushing each other in training and that will only help standards."
With the new season just five weeks away and Rovers still in the Conference League, more signings are on the cards, particularly with the off-season exits of Neil Farrugia, Seán Hoare and Johnny Kenny.
"We’re obviously talking to a couple more," Bradley revealed. "These things take time but hopefully we’re not too far away with them.
"But they take as long as they take but you can be assured, we’re working in the background to try and get some signings in."
Sligo have quickly moved to fill the gap left by losing their loanee from last year, with former Waterford number one Sam Sargeant penning a one-year contract.
Rovers are excited to announce that goalkeeper Sam Sargeant has joined the club for the 2025 season 🔴⚪️
— Sligo Rovers (@sligorovers) January 9, 2025
Welcome to the Showgrounds 🤝
Link to the article ⬇️https://t.co/XDCLRv97xo#Bitored | #Since1928 pic.twitter.com/L9TxhrWGqg
The 27-year-old played a starring role in the Blues' magnificent early season form, before his year was cut short with injury.
However he was still regarded as one of the leading goalkeepers in the Premier Division last season and opted to move on at the end of the campaign.
Sargeant featured 30 times for Waterford in 2024 having signed up at the RSC midway through their 2023 promotion season. This followed spells with Leyton Orient, Wealdstone and Barnet amongst others.
He is expected to compete with Conor Walsh for the starting role.
"I spoke with John Russell a few times over the phone and I had little doubt where I wanted to be after that," Sargeant said.
"I was very impressed with his whole approach. We had conversations about how I will contribute to the team. I feel it’s a really good fit and I can’t wait to get working with the staff up here as I feel I can really progress along with the team.
"Sligo, the town and county is football mad and it’s all about Rovers here. It’s a big club and I want to build on what I’ve already achieved in Ireland and help bring some success to Sligo.
"We can go as far as we want next season. If we stick together as a group and give everything we have, we know we can compete with anyone in this country."
It's not at all bad news for Waterford after the capture of right-back Navajo Bakboord ahead of the 2025 League of Ireland season.
Bakboord makes the move to the RSC with an impressive career to date, having come up through the Ajax academy, before going on to make over 40 Eredivisie appearances for Heracles.
The 25-year-old spent over 12 years with Ajax, playing in the same defence as Matthijs de Ligt and Sven Botman. Fellow Premier League stars Justin Kluivert (Bournemouth), Ryan Gravenberch (Liverpool) and Tyrell Malacia (Manchester United) played through the age-groups alongside Bakboord as he became a regular for the Dutch underage sides.
In 2023, he became a senior international for South American country Suriname, where he has gone on to make five appearances to date in their CONCACAF Nations League and World Cup qualifying campaigns respectively.
Having spent time out of football without a club in recent months, he makes the move to the League of Ireland.
Bakboord said: "I feel good to be here. The club have amazing facilities, good coaches, a great group of players, so I'm looking forward to being here and being part of the team, and to show everyone what I’m capable of.
"I have some good experience on the highest level in Holland, so I will show that to the fans & to my team-mates."
Frantz Pierrot has departed Drogheda United for Bosnian top flight outfit Velez Mostar.
Pierrot scored 14 goals for Drogs last season, including a brace in the 3-1 promotion/relegation play-off victory over Bray at Tallaght Stadium. He won an FAI Cup winners medal before that as the Louth outfit surprised favourites Derry City at the Aviva Stadium.
Pierrot previously played with Athlone Town during the 2023 First Division campaign, hitting 20 goals during a run which saw De Town reach the end of season play-offs.
