Derry City midfielder Luke O'Donnell has joined Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers for an undisclosed six-figure fee which could rise based on performance.
The talented 17-year-old signed a professional contract at the Ryan McBride Brandywell at the start of this season and is the second City academy player to agree a move to England this month after goalkeeper Conal McDermott signed for Portsmouth.
O'Donnell made his league debut on the final day of the 2023 campaign against St Patrick's Athletic and featured on the substitutes bench on three occasions this season.
He has been capped at Republic of Ireland Under-17 level.
Derry chief executive CEO Sean Barrett said that O’Donnell’s move was further testimony to the wealth of talent currently being developed at the Brandywell.
"It’s a great move for Luke and he is a player we think very highly of, so it’s no surprise that he has attracted the attention of a big club like Wolves.
"It’s very pleasing for us a club that we’re developing players on a pathway, that as well as giving lads the opportunity to move across the water, we’re also focused on providing local players for Derry City.
"For now though we just want to wish Luke every success at Wolves and we look forward to monitoring his progress there."
Wolves academy manager Jon Hunter-Barrett is pleased to finally secure the signing of O'Donnell: "Luke's a boy we tried to sign a year ago so it’s been a real challenge for us but, most importantly, for Luke and his family to wait for this amount of time before officially signing for us.
"He’s another versatile player who can play as a six, eight or even as a centre-back, which he’s shown he can do for his national team.
"Luke’s a great height and shape, and an athletic mover who can manage the ball. He’s another solid personality, someone who is consistent every day and we feel we can build a development block that’s going to be needed for him to sustain a career in the game moving forward."
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