Shelbourne sign defender Casey from Cliftonville

League of Ireland Premier Division side Shelbourne have signed Cliftonville defender Odhran Casey for an undisclosed fee.

The 23-year-old centre-back, who can also play in midfield, has been capped by Northern Ireland at under-21 level and becomes Joey O'Brien's fifth signing at Tolka Park.

Casey - who had been linked with Derry City and Coleraine - made his debut for the Reds in 2019 and went on to play 143 times for the club following a successful loan spell at Newry City in the Championship during the 2021-22 campaign.

He won the Irish Cup and BetMcLean Cup during his time at Solitude and established himself as key defender under boss Jim Magilton, captaining the side on his last appearance in a 2-2 draw against Ballymena United on Tuesday night.

"I've loved my time at Cliftonville and would like to thank all the managers and coaches who have helped me become the player I am today," he told the Cliftonville website.

"I've always been proud to play for the Reds and have great memories from the last seven years with the first team as well as during my time coming through the academy.

"Every young player grows up dreaming of being a full-time footballer and I'm no different. The chance to join Shelbourne and make that dream come true is one I couldn't turn down and that's why I was so keen to get the deal done and make the move.

"I want to thank the Cliftonville fans for their support and I wish Jim, Skin [Gerard Lyttle] and all the players in the dressing room the best of luck for the rest of the season and in the future."

Casey is the latest Cliftonville academy graduate to move onto pastures new and embrace full-time football, netting the club a healthy profit in the progress and following in the footsteps of the likes of Sean Moore and Shea Kearney in recent years.

After making his debut as a 16-year-old, who predominately played in midfield, Casey had to be patient for his opportunity to start for the Reds, but when it arrived he grasped it with both hands.

A loan spell with Newry during their promotion winning campaign from the Championship helped him return to Solitude with some valuable senior experience and he only went from strength to strength once Magilton was appointed.

A move to playing centre-back as part of a back three really transformed his fortunes and he was a key member of the Irish Cup 2024 winning team despite sustaining a nasty leg break in the final win over Linfield.

He bounced back superbly from the injury to help the Reds win the BetMcLean Cup in 2025 and has arguably been their best performer this campaign.

The tough tackling and ball playing defender picked up the club's player of the month award twice in the current campaign and looks like he has all the attributes to make the step up to a Shelbourne side who will be aiming to wrestle back the Premier Division title from Shamrock Rovers after finishing third last season.

Linfield have also announced their first signing of the January transfer window with the capture of defender Darragh Leahy on an 18-month deal.

The 27-year-old was recently with Waterford and has also had spells at Coventry City, Bohemians and Dundalk.

"I'm absolutely delighted, I know how big a club Linfield is and as soon as I heard about the possibility of this happening I couldn't wait to get this done," he told Linfield TV.

"I've been in the League of Ireland for the past eight years, I can play a number of different positions, left-back, centre-back and left of a three and I will always give 100%."