Sligo Rovers have snapped up Accrington Stanley midfielder and self-confessed Seamus Coleman fan Seb Quirk on an 18-month contract.
Quirk, who was at Everton with Coleman for 10 years, has signed a pre-contract agreement and will officially complete his move to the Showgrounds on July 1.
The midfielder, who can also play in either full-back position, joined the Toffees aged just 11 and progressed through their academy ranks before moving to Stanley in January 2023.
There he made 46 appearances, including 41 across League One and League Two.
The Everton fan also lined out with another former Sligo Rovers player, Seamus Conneely, during his time at Accrington Stanley.
He said: “I've always known about Sligo Rovers and always kept an eye on them a little bit.
Sign up for our League of Ireland news service on Whats App
Click this link or scan the QR code to receive the latest League of Ireland news and top stories from the Irish Mirror. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
“I'm a big Everton fan, one of my favourite players growing up was Seamus Coleman so I've always kept an eye on Sligo Rovers.
“The last couple of years my captain at Accrington was Seamus Conneely and he'd speak about the club so I did keep an eye.”
As for how the move came about, Quirk added: “I jumped on a Zoom call with John Russell a few weeks ago, spoke to him and I liked what he had to say so it seemed like a good place for me to come.
“It's been really good, I'm really enjoying it. I'm in a house with two of the lads, they're really sound.
“I like the training, we did the gym yesterday and the facilities are really good.
“When my season finished I went away for two weeks with my girlfriend but since I've come back I've been running and keeping fit so I am fit and ready.
“I just wanted to be ready for whatever came so I kept myself fit.”
Rovers boss John Russell has been tracking the youngster for several years now, and he even watched him play for Everton’s Under-23s.
“They were playing in an international cup at the time,” he said. “I was over on a visit at Everton. He caught my eye in that game.
“He got a move to Accrington, he's played in League One and League Two.
“I think his profile will suit our league in terms of his physicality, he's a central midfielder by trade but can also play full-back. Having that versatility with a small squad will be massively beneficial for us.
“I think if you asked Seb where's his favoured position he'd say centre mid, that's where he played coming up through the academy at Everton. He's a big boy, he's over six foot.
“He's physical, he covers the ground. He has no problem playing full-back which is a real plus for us.”
With Rovers currently bottom of the Premier Division, Russell added: “It's important that we strengthen the squad, we know we need to improve our league position and I definitely think bringing in quality players raises the level and standards within the group and helps us win matches.
“We haven't won enough games this year, I think the likes of Seb coming in early so he can train with the group so he's ready come July 1st will be a big help.”
Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox bysigning up for free email.