New Arrivals

NEW ARRIVALS CAMMY SMITH

It has been something of a whirlwind couple of weeks for Scottish attacker Cammy Smith.

The 24-year-old - who trained with the Dundalk squad at their pre-season training camp in Spain last month - arrived from Dundee United on Monday, February 3rd, putting pen-to-paper on a loan deal until June.

Less than two hours after getting off the ferry from Scotland, Smith boarded the team bus for the friendly against Crusaders in Belfast, playing 45 minutes in the 2-1 win over the Danske Bank Irish Premiership side. Described by his former manager Craig Brown as the ‘Bergkamp of Aberdeen’, Smith offered the Dundalk supporters a little glimpse of what he can do by playing the pass for Patrick Hoban’s opener and he said is hoping to supply plenty more ammunition in the months ahead.

“I work hard but I play in the forward areas and I’m hoping to chip in with goals and create chances,” he said. “I like to play more centrally but I can play narrow off the sides and I think I can add something at the top end of the pitch.”

Smith featured in Dundalk’s friendly with CFR Cluj in Spain and he said that the week in Alicante would be hugely beneficial in helping him to settle into his new surroundings in Dundalk.

“Yeah, it was a great help,” he said. “I had a proper look at the lads and they had a proper look at me. You’re living with each other and you see what everybody else is up to and it was good to get into training and to meet the staff.”

After making his debut for Aberdeen at the age of 16 in 2012, Smith went on to make 76 league appearances for the Dons, picking up a League Cup winners medal against Inverness Caledonian Thistle in 2014.

Loan spells at Dundee United and St Mirren followed before he joined the Paisley club on a permanent basis ahead of the 2017-2018 season. Ten goals in 34 league appearances followed as St Mirren won the Championship, earning Smith the club’s Player of the Year award.

Smith returned to Dundee United last January but fell out of favour at Tannadice and Lilywhites manager Vinny Perth is hoping that the move to Oriel Park will help him reignite his career.

“Cammy has a huge reputation in Scotland,” said Perth. “His career has stalled over the past couple of months for various reasons but he is ready to kick on now and we feel this is an opportunity for him to reignite his career.”

NEW ARRIVALS DARRAGH LEAHY

One of the interesting subplots of Dundalk’s season will be the battle for the left-back position between Dane Massey and new arrival Darragh Leahy.

Five-time league winner Massey has been immense in pre-season but he faces real competition from the Irish U21 international who arrived from Bohemians over the winter.

Leahy has been one of the SSE Airtricity League’s brightest young stars since he returned from Coventry

City at the start of the 2018 season but he knows he will have to be at his very best if he wants to dislodge Massey from the left-back berth. “Dane has been here for the past seven years and he has won a countless amount of trophies so I’m not going to just walk straight into the team,” he said.

“There will be plenty of competition for places but I’m here to fight for it. Dundalk have obviously been successful over the past few years and I’ve come here to win trophies.”

The Dubliner has been an integral part of Stephen Kenny’s swashbuckling U21 Irish side and he believes that Dundalk’s style of play will suit him down to the ground. “We play with a similar style to the Irish U21s and it’s football that I really enjoy playing,” he said. “It was a no brainer coming here,” he added. “No disrespect to Bohs, but the training and players here are of a higher quality so it’s only going to improve me.”

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NEW ARRIVALS GREG SLOGGETT

Almost three months on from joining Dundalk, midfielder Greg Sloggett is chomping at the bit to get the new 2020 SSE Airtricity League season underway.

The 23-year-old signed for the league champions less than a week after the FAI Cup final last November and after working hard in pre-season, he is determined to hit the ground running, starting with the visit of his old employers, Derry City, this evening.

“It was one of the longest off-seasons I’ve ever had,” he said. “I had a lot of time off the pitch but I think I needed it to be honest and

I’m feeling fit and strong and can’t wait for the season to start properly now.”

Settling in hasn’t been a problem for Sloggett. A native of Gormanston, just 50km away from Dundalk, the presence of former UCD teammate Georgie Kelly has helped while integrate into his new surroundings while he is also good friends with Robbie Benson and Jamie McGrath who both departed in the winter.

“The lads here have all been brilliant to me,” he said. “From the players, to the staff to the people working around the place, I feel like I’ve settled in well. I’m not too far from here myself and I know most of the lads from playing against them.

“Georgie is obviously here and Benson was here last year and I feel right at home. Hopefully, as the season progresses, I can play a big part in things.”

Sloggett’s arrival sent the online forums into overdrive with many supporters questioning whether he was a ‘six’ or an ‘eight’. The fact that he has been given McGrath’s old number 10 will do little to settle the argument!

“I’m a good friend of Jamie’s,” he smiled. “We kept in touch when he was here and I’m obviously sad to see him go but when that jersey came up, it’s a good number to take so, hopefully, I can live up to the legacy he left.” After kicking off the 2019 league season against UCD, Sloggett will also start this year’s campaign against one of his old clubs when Derry City arrive at Oriel Park tonight.

“It’s a huge game and you always want to win your first game, no matter who it is,” he said. “Last year it was for Derry against UCD and this year it’s against Derry for Dundalk!

“Hopefully, I will be well received by the Derry fans, even if that’s just wishful thinking,” he laughed.

“Derry have made strong signings and without a doubt will be competing up around the top of the table again.”

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NEW ARRIVALS WILL PATCHING

Will Patching said that the prospect of playing European football in the summertime was a huge factor in his decision to sign for Dundalk.

The 21-year-old Mancunian arrived in November after leaving Notts County where he made 10 appearances in the 2018-2019 season. Prior to that, he spent 14 years with Manchester City’s Academy, representing England at the 2015 U17 World Cup.

Patching tasted European action with City in the UEFA Youth League as a teenager and he said he was looking forward to what the summer brings with Dundalk.

Speaking about his decision to join the Lilywhites,

Patching said: “I was in a bit of an awkward situation. I agreed to leave Notts County and I trained with a few clubs in Spain and England but once my agent told me about the interest from Dundalk, it wasn’t a hard decision and I wanted to get it done as quickly as possible.

“I came over and met Vinny and he showed me around the place. The facilities in the YDC like the changing rooms and the gym are brilliant and the medical staff we have is top class but Europe was the cherry on the cake,” he said. “I would love to play and compete against top class teams. I had a small taste of it when I played against Cluj a few weeks ago and I played a few games with City in the Youth League. There’s a different feel to European games and I’m really looking forward to it.”

Patching’s immediate priority is getting himself back to full fitness. After scoring on his debut against UCD last month, he sustained a shoulder injury in Dundalk’s friendly against Cluj in Spain but he is hoping to play some part in tonight’s opener.

“The injury came at a bad time,” he said, “because I was just getting into the swing of things. It’s improving a lot, though. I thought that my shoulder came out and I dislocated it but I went for a scan and it’s just the AC joint. I’ve been back in contact training since Monday and hopefully I’ll be involved against Derry.”

Patching will live in the town itself, sharing digs with Georgie Kelly, Greg Sloggett and fellow ‘northerner’ Jordan Flores and as a newcomer to the country, never mind the league, he said the presence of Player Liaison Offices Des Dunleavy was invaluable.

“It has been hectic but the lads have all made me feel welcome,” he said. “Des has been top. He has sorted me out with everything, my banking, my house, and I don’t know where I’d be without him! I got to got home or a few days when I did my shoulder but I’m just looking forward now to getting back to fitness.”

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