Foran swaps Inchicore for California

Former St. Patrick's Athletic defender Derek Foran has signed for United Soccer League side Sacramento Republic FC on a two year contract, with the club having the option to keep him for a third campaign.

The 25 year old has swapped Inchicore for California in the off-season, making the move to join last season's USL Pro Championship winners, who only made their debut as a club in 2014 in what is the third tier of the football pyramid in the States. Republic FC finished second in the regular season to Orlando City SC before going on to win the play-offs and secure the title. The terms of the deal could potentially keep the defender stateside until 2017.

Foran leaves Pats for the second time, and leaves the League of Ireland after an eight year spell which has seen the former Templeogue United schoolboy also line out for Bray Wanderers, Sligo Rovers, Dundalk and Shamrock Rovers. He was part of the Rovers squad which in 2013, under the guidance of Trevor Croly, won a treble of the Setanta Sports Cup, EA Sports Cup and the Leinster Senior Cup. Foran was also on the bench for the Saints as they claimed a first FAI Cup win in 53 years last season by beating Derry City 2-0 in the final at the Aviva Stadium.

The Dubliner is the latest former League of Ireland player to move across the pond, following in the footsteps of Paul Keegan, Richie Baker and Ryan Guy (all New England Revolution at different stages); Chris Konopka (currently Toronto FC); Colin Falvey (USL club Charlseton Battery); Richie Ryan (Canadian outfit Ottowa Fury who play in the North American Soccer League, for whom Falvey has also just signed); and new teammate and former Hoops colleague Thomas Stewart.

Indeed, Stewart has already made a name for himself at Bonney Field, netting 13 times last season, including the championship securing second goal in stoppage time of Republic FC's 2-0 win over Harrisburg City Islanders in the play-off final – the former Derry City striker rounded the goalkeeper and fired the ball into the empty net to send the 8,000 sell-out home crowd crazy.

Playing out of the 20,000 capacity Hughes Stadium for the first few games of 2014 before moving to Bonney Field in June, Foran's new side broke the total attendance record for a USL team in their maiden campaign – with a recorded 182,107 fans going to see Sacramento Republic FC across 31 games (28 in the league and three in the play-offs).

The club announced the signing of Foran alongside the arrivals of three other new players as Serb-American boss Predrag Radosavljevic – better known as 'Preki', the former Everton and Kansas City Wizards winger who represented the United States at the 1998 World Cup – seeks to retain the USL Pro Championship in 2015.