Edwin Agbaje joins Sligo Rovers following Ipswich Town departure
The Offaly native, who operates mainly on the right side, joins the Bit O'Red having departed EFL Championship side Ipswich Town recently. He links up with Rovers having penned a deal until the end of the current season and joins subject to international transfer clearance.
Advertisement
The 21-year-old began his life in football at local side Edenderry Town, before moving on to join the academy at Shamrock Rovers at 14. Two years later, he was picked up by Ipswich and spent five years there and was also loaned to both Sutton United and Yeovil Town. Agbaje has represented the Republic of Ireland at various underage levels and was named Ipswich's Academy Player of the Year in 2023.
His availability for tonight's (Friday) game with Bohemians is ITC dependent.
Agbaje is the seventh new player in the door this summer as manager John Russell looks to finish the season on as strong a note as possible.
Sligo are currently seven points clear of bottom-placed Cork City, whose form has finally ticked upwards with a home win over Galway followed by a draw away to Derry.
Speaking to the club's website, Agbaje said: 'I spoke to people at the club a lot over the summer and got to hear in detail about the style of play and how things are done here at Rovers.
'It really impressed me and Sligo seems like a place where I can really fit in. It's a great place for young players like myself to develop. John (Russell) has a proven track record of bringing through, developing and giving chances to younger players like me so the opportunity here speaks for itself.
Russell said: 'Edwin is an extremely talented player. He's got all the attributes you look for in a defender. He has pace, he's strong, aggressive and good on the ball. We feel he can make a big impact here between now and the end of the season.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Daily Mirror
10 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Teenage FAI Cup hero wanted world-wide says manager after match-winning display
Sligo Rovers' in-demand Cup hero Owen Elding has generated transfer interest from "all over the world", says Sligo boss John Russell. Juventus, Norwich and Ferencváros are among the clubs that have been linked with a move for the 19-year-old, whose 53 minute goal at Dalymount Park put Rovers into the Sports Direct FAI Cup quarter-finals. Russell believes that Elding, who is expected to remain at the Showgrounds until the end of the season, added to his price tag with his match-winning display. "I think so, yeah, he just keeps getting better and better and he's a real leader," said the Bit O'Red supremo. "This was a tough draw for us, we had a tough one in the last round away to Dundalk - we've come up here to a team that's second in the League and I think we've dominated the game. "Owen led the line, he was incredible, he was unplayable at times and we all know there's huge interest in him and we'll just enjoy him while he's here. Sligo manager John Russell applauds the Rovers fans after the game (Image: ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne) "There is huge interest in him from all over the world. That is no surprise given the talent he is and the numbers and stats he's produced. We're hopeful that we will have him for the remainder of the season. We'll enjoy him while he is here. "He is a kid who has come up through the academy. He loves playing for Sligo Rovers. He wants to help try to get us out of the position we are in in the league. "We also want to have a good cup run and Friday night was important. that we got to the next round." Russell describes Elding, who has scored eight times in the league for a side that is battling to stay up, as a "real leader" in the Rovers dressing-room, despite his age. "He's an outstanding talent," said the manager. "Week-in, week-out he produces the goods. His movement on Friday night was top drawer. It was elite. "Every time he won the ball in transitions, the way he pulled off the shoulder - the Bohs defenders could not deal with him when that sort of ball came to him. "He's coming short, he's running in behind. His touch is so clean. He showed why he's the best young talent in the country on Friday night." Sligo Rovers' Sam Sargeant (Image: ©INPHO/Evan Logan) Russell also paid tribute to Rovers keeper Sam Sargeant, who saved a penalty early in the second half and followed that up with a magnificent reaction tip-over from a deflected cross. Sargeant, who signed a new contract recently, admitted that he needed to improve at the start of the year when he was dropped from the side. "For me, Sam is the best," Russell said. "He has shown over the last couple of weeks he is the best keeper in the league. Not only does he make big saves but his distribution is unbelievable, whether it's short or long. And he has really grown over the last couple of weeks. "I'm just excited that he has committed his future to the club and in cup games you need your big player to stand up, big moments. When we gave away the penalty it was really disappointing, but what a save. An incredible performance he pulled off some incredible saves within the game to keep a clean sheet. "You are trying to build a core group going into the following season and trying to keep your best players and Sam has shown that. We have a big nine games to go in the league and we are into the next round of the cup."
The 42
11 hours ago
- The 42
'It's just the nature of the beast. You can't expect to be on the same contract'
RORY GAFFNEY TOASTED his continued rejuvenation with a can of Coke Zero after a starring role in the Uefa Conference League third qualifying round on Thursday night. Supping on the soft drink while beads of sweat slowly dripped from his temples to his his cheeks, this was the comedown after an effervescent shift that married ruthless endeavour with clinical instinctiveness. The result was two goals and a man-of-the-match award as Shamrock Rovers progressed to the play-off stage against Portuguese side Santa Clara. 'It just seems to be the story of my season, balls falling to me two or three yards out. I don't know why it didn't happen the last 15 years,' he said. The first leg of the play-off is away in the Azores next week and, with a FAI Cup third round clash against Longford Town tomorrow, the striker will be hungry to add to his tally of 12 goals in all competitions so far. Advertisement The last year has been one of the most demanding for Gaffney, a troublesome Achilles problem leading to surgery on his ankle. He could jog casually at times during the year but was unable to sprint without a flare up and so he barely kicked a ball at all. Rovers head coach Stephen Bradley revealed after last night's 4-0 win over Ballkani that Gaffney took a pay cut to stay at the club in January. He started pre-season without the guarantee of a contract at Tallaght Stadium, even turning down the offer of two-year deals from two League of Ireland rivals. The aim was to prove his fitness at Rovers and help them retain the Premier Division title. There are nine games remaining and the Hoops have a 10-point lead at the top of the table. 'Yeah, yeah. Might give it back to me now,' Gaffney said, joking about his reduced terms for this season. 'I don't know, [I'd] no other choice! It's just the nature of the beast, isn't it? You've been out for a year, you haven't played. You know, you can't expect to be on the same contract. 'What does it mean to me? I suppose I didn't know if I was going to be playing. I suppose I watched the lads last year. It was hard to watch at times, really, but obviously you're delighted for them. But I suppose I just had… My full focus was just trying to get back fit and I was happy to call it the day if I couldn't get fit. 'Because you know yourself, you're playing up front and especially in this team, you need to be able to run. You have to be able to press. I think every manager in the league wants their strikers to press. And if you can't do it, you know, you just can't play as simple as.' Gaffney turns 36 in October and his performance levels are benefitting from a tailored training schedule. In a regular week he does the usual heavy session with his teammates on a Monday then does his own programme on a Tuesday and Wednesday before linking back up for pre-match on a Thursday and then having the weekend off after a Friday night game. Europe continues to offer a very welcome disruption and if Rovers can overcome Santa Clara – who finished fifth in the Portugal Primeira Liga – the year will continue right up until Christmas. It was the same in 2024 when Gaffney travelled to London and sat in the stands for the final league phase game of the Conference League against Chelsea. 'Yeah, it was just frustrating, but I suppose the lads were doing well. Johnny Kenny did well off the back of it, so, you know, it's great to see him do well. He's got a new contract [at Celtic]. It's probably off the back of how well he's done last year. He's gone back to Celtic full of confidence, and kicked on.' Gaffney is doing the same and a new contract of his own will surely be on the way should he continue to deliver this level of performance.
RTÉ News
11 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Sligo Rovers 'delighted' as Bohemians boss says 'we never turned up'
Sligo Rovers boss John Russell felt the "magic of the cup" was at play as his side recorded a 1-0 win away at Bohemians. Rovers keeper Sam Sargeant saved a second-half penalty shortly before Owen Elding scored the only goal of the game at Dalymount Park. The Gypsies piled on late pressure but the Bit O'Red held on to progress to the last eight of the FAI Sports Direct Cup. "Delighted to be in the next round, not only the result but our performance, I thought we were electric in that first half," Russell, whose side sit second from bottom of the Premier Division, told RTÉ Sport. "Some of our play was top level, the combinations, the movement... we were calm in our build-up and I don't think Bohs laid a glove on us in the first half. "The disappointing thing was coming in at half time not being in front." On the crucial moments after the break, he said: "It's the magic of the cup, I suppose. "You want your big players to stand up and Sam Sargeant has been unbelievable for us this season and comes up and makes an incredible save. "He's shown his class over the last couple of weeks. "Then we go up the other end and, for me, the best young talent in the country, Owen Elding, he was outstanding tonight, and once he got in in the box, we knew he was going to hit the back of the net." The Connacht side are seven points clear of bottom of the table Cork City and four points behind Galway United with nine games to play. "If we play the way we played tonight we are going to pick up a lot more wins than losses," he added. "These are special nights when you come up to Dalymount a get a delighted we are in the quarter-finals and in the hat for the next round." Meanwhile, Bohs boss Alan Reynolds (above) was honest in his appraisal, conceding his team, second in the league, got what they deserved. "I thought we never turned up, I thought we got what we deserved, in fairness," he said. "Not that we haven't spoken about their threats and the problems they cause. We just never showed up. "I think we left everyone down as players and staff. I think there's been nights here where you take criticism coming in. "We deserve everything we get after that because that was poor." "I don't blame them [the fans for being angry]. "Us as players, we get that. "Dawson Devoy has been outstanding. In my eyes, the best midfielder in the league this year. And tonight, he has an off night at his standards and nobody else turns up. Nobody else comes over and says, 'you know what, I'll take over and I'll carry it'. "I spoke to the players about this. We deserve everything you get from that. That performance was really poor." On Dayle Rooney's saved penalty (above), he added: "Yeah, but it would have covered over things. "We could have went on and won it, but, let's be honest, we didn't create enough. "We didn't defend properly, and we didn't win duels. We didn't do anything that we have done." "It's just a flat performance and extremely disappointing. "What we've done all year is we've applied ourselves and we've worked extremely hard. "Just feeling we left ourselves down, that's probably the message. "But we don't get too carried away when we're having a good run. Just nine games to go, let's crack on."
