Ryan O'Kane has become Sligo Rovers' 19th signing ahead of the 2026 SSE Airtricity Premier Division season.
The 22-year-old signed a two-year deal for an undisclosed fee, days after his loan spell at the Showgrounds ended.
Initially joining the Bit O’Red on loan from Shelbourne in July last year he went on to make 14 appearances for the club, scoring twice as Rovers finished the year strongly.
O’Kane’s loan deal expired on the last day of November, but Rovers boss John Russell acted quickly in bringing the player back to the northwest on a full-time basis.
Born in Dundalk, O’Kane began his career at Irish League side Warrenpoint, making his debut for them at 15. He went on to sign for his hometown club, arriving at Oriel Park in 2021 and spent four seasons with the Lilywhites before being snapped up by 2024 Premier Division champions Shels following their title win.
The winger is delighted to make his stay more permanent.
"The style the manager wants us to play really suits my game and I felt I fitted in well in the way he wants the team to attack. It goes hand in hand really. He was a big factor in me making the move to Sligo. I was eager to make it permanent as soon as I could really.
"John has a great record of developing young players and that’s a big reason why I signed here. He has big plans for the season ahead and myself and it’s something I’m hugely excited about."
Welcoming O’Kane back to the fold, Russell outlined the reasons why he was so keen to get his man back to Sligo as soon as his loan deal finished.
"He has such a high ceiling", John says of O’Kane."We brought him here because of his willingness and ability to take players on. He’s got lightning pace, a brilliant ability to change direction and he impacts the game in the final third with goals and assists. We want to help Ryan show more of that in 2026."
