Irish starlets make the move to Scandinavia to join Thomas Stewart’s Ytterhogdals IK

Teenage duo Darragh Dunne, and Jack O’Reilly have departed St Patrick’s Athletic and Bohemians to sign for Swedish side Ytterhogdals IK, a club now managed by former Shamrock Rovers striker, Thomas Stewart. 

Stewart, born in Craigavon, played for Derry City, Shamrock Rovers (across two spells) and Dundalk during his playing career.  

Now, he manages in Sweden’s fourth tier having joined Ytterhogdals as manager back in February 2023.  

His three top scorers, last season, all now departed, had Irish connections in the form of ex-Lilywhites forward, Michael O’Connor, former Celtic player, Ben Wylie, and Belfast’s Diarmuid O’Hanlon. 

The arrivals of young Dunne and O’Reilly, a right-back and midfielder, both aged nineteen, is one Stewart hopes can help fill the gap of his departed trio.  

On their signing, he told the Irish Daily Mirror: 

“It’s always good to have people with that kind of potential back at home taking a chance on you. Obviously, they have respected my work as a player and now a coach, and they are excited to get over.

“Certainly, I see these boys with really good potential, and they can be key players for me. I just hope they can hit the ground running. I’m sure they will do really well.

“Hopefully these boys will enjoy this experience and be all the better for it. They are two good lads, two lads who are hungry to succeed.”

Stewart’s League of Ireland showreel includes an FAI League Cup win under Stepehen Kenny’s managerial tenure at the Candystripes.  

In his first spell at Tallaght, he scored a memorable summer’s winner in the Europa League against Bnei Yehuda in July 2010, a strike which subsequently set up the Hoops for a dazzling European encounter with Serie A giants, Juventus. 

Dunne and O’Reilly will hope that Stewart’s stewardship leads to some glamorous occasions of their own out in Sweden. 

Dunne and O’Reilly are not the only Irish players to agree a move abroad this week, Olamide Shodipo has agreed a move to Portuguese side CD Feirense.

Irish American defender Josh O’Brien signs with USL Championship team Indy Eleven https://t.co/YMovInZNXkpic.twitter.com/DgarsRxR9e

— Extratime.com (@ExtratimeNews) February 1, 2024