Ryan Manning Secures Move To Queens Park Rangers

It was announced on Thursday evening that Galway United FC midfielder Ryan Manning has joined Barclays Premier League outfit Queens Park Rangers.

Having been heavily linked with the club for a number of weeks, the deal has finally gone through to give Manning the green light to start his journey in Britain's most prestigious league.

Joining the London club for an undisclosed fee, 18-year-old Manning will look to kick-start his new football journey under the tutelage of Harry Redknapp, and it will be interesting to see what the youngster can bring to the set-up.

Having started his career with Mervue United, Manning soon became a pivotal member of Galway FC's inaugural season, catching the eye of commentators up and down the country with his mazy dribbles and keen eye for goal.

A veritable star throughout Galway's successful promotion campaign as they defeated both Shelbourne and UCD in a series of relegation/promotion battles, his contributions to the side's great year are a testament to his talent.

And, according to QPR's twitter account, Manning had this to say about becoming an R's player:

“It feels like a dream come true – it's all very surreal at the moment. There were a few clubs interested, but when I came over and met with the manager and Les (Ferdinand), I was in no doubt that I wanted to move to QPR. We spoke at length about QPR and what they thought of me as a player and it just seemed like a really good fit for everyone.”

In all, he netted six goals in 2014 as Tommy Dunne's men fought their way into the Premier Division.

A regular in the Republic of Ireland's U19 set-up to boot, he played a big part in the last few months of their journey and was also voted as Galway FC's 'Young Player Of The Year' by the fans at the end of the season.

A statement released from his former club read: “Everyone at Galway United would like to wish Ryan well with his move to Queens Park Rangers.”