Stephen O'Donnell signs new two year deal with Dundalk

Dundalk captain Stephen O’Donnell has agreed a new contract with the club, in what will be a boost to the Lilywhites after losing Ronan Finn earlier in the week.

The midfielder has signed a two-year-deal with the Lilywhites which will see him spend a fifth and sixth year in the colours of Dundalk.

O’Donnell has had a trophy laden spell with Stephen Kenny’s Dundalk since joining the club in 2013, lifting the league title on three occasions as well as the FAI and EA Sports Cups once each.

There had been speculation in recent days that the Galweigan was set for a spectacular return to Shamrock Rovers, while Bray Wanderers were also said to be interested in the 30-year-old, however the Lilywhites’ skipper remains in the north-east.

“I am delighted to get things sorted before Christmas,” O’Donnell told dundalkfc.com.

“I am here for the next two years so it’s a bit of stability for myself as well which is good but I’m delighted to stay. I am really looking forward to getting going again next season. I can’t wait for it all to start again now. “

The captain was an integral part of Dundalk’s run to the Europa League group stages in 2016, however, he has bluntly condemned that success to the past.

“The season just gone is all in the past now. It’s over with and we did have a good adventure. There’s no denying that but we have to focus on next season now,” he added.

“It’s something that we want to try and do again. We want to do even better next season than we did this year. It was a great experience this year but the focus is to make sure we get the same experience next year.”

O’Donnell has five league winner’s medals to his name from a league of Ireland career which is close to a decade old. This is a haul which he is eager to add to in 2017.

“Like the three-in-a-row was, our aim now is to go for the fourth. We want to keep our league title. It’s the most important to us. Our goal is to win the league, it’s our main priority and next year is no different.

“We are under no illusions and it is going to be very tough, we know that. People seem to be writing us off already after losing the players but we aren’t worried. There will be a rejuvenated hunger in the squad don’t worry.

“There’ll be a huge motivation in the players still here and those coming in to prove everyone wrong yet again to show that we are