Cork City sign striker Dan Smith on loan from Portsmouth

Cork City have announced the early season signing of striker Dan Smith on loan from Portsmouth until July after fellow loanee Matt Gillam picked up an injury.

The academy graduate made his Portsmouth debut this season but has spent the majority of the 2018/2019 season on loan at Bognor Regis in the Isthmian League, scoring 12 goals in 21 appearances.

Smith has featured for Portsmouth at Turner’s Cross before, lining out in a pre-season friendly before the current season.

The 21-year-old striker has received international clearance and goes straight into the City squad for tonight’s fixture away to Sligo Rovers.

“The intensity of training was great, and the lads are really good players,” Smith told the club’s official website.

“It was hard work to be honest! I maybe need to work on my fitness, but I thought I did well and I am looking forward to maybe getting some game time.

“A lot of people said to me that the standard would be a lot higher than you would think, and it definitely is.

“The intensity and the work rate of the lads is top drawer, so I am looking forward to it. I am coming over to get games and to get goals, experience it over here and hopefully do well.

“I win a lot of headers, hold the ball up reasonably well, run the lines, run in behind and score a few goals as well, so hopefully I can do that here.”

City manager John Caulfield revealed it was important to bring in a replacement after Gillam was ruled out for a number of weeks.



“He comes highly recommended from Portsmouth. He is a big strong lad, with a very good touch and he looks like a good finisher.

“He has trained with us, but he obviously needs to get up to the intensity and the pace of our game.

“He was at our game against Waterford and he said it was a higher intensity than he had been playing at, so we will work to get him up to the speed of things.”