Drogheda United take Darragh Nugent on season-long loan from Shamrock Rovers

Having been named as one of eight players re-signed by Shamrock Rovers on Saturday, Darragh Nugent will spend the 2022 season away from Tallaght Stadium with Drogheda United on loan.

Nugent spent the latter half of the 2021 campaign playing under Daire Doyle on loan at Longford Town and is united with Doyle who is now part of the new management team in Drogheda under Kevin Doherty,

The 20-year-old joined the Hoops in 2019 from UCD and was part of Hoops under-19 team that won the Enda McGuill Cup.

In the 2020 COVID-19 hit shortened season he skippered the Shamrock Rovers II side in the First Division making 16 appearance while also making his first three appearances for Rovers’ first team (two in the Premier Division and one in the FAI Cup).

During the first half of the recently completed season Nugent was regularly named in Stephen Bradley’s title winning squad making four substitute appearances in wins over Derry City, Finn Harps and a couple of games against Waterford before making the move in July to Longford on loan where he made 15 appearances. 

“I knew Daire from last year at Longford,” said Nugent speaking to the Drogheda media team. ”I spoke with Kevin (Doherty) and he’d been chatting with Daire, and Kev said he’d really like to get me in so I was delighted to join on loan. I’m looking forward to getting going.

“It (Longford loan) was my first real run of games in the Premier Division, and first real experience of playing regularly. I think it benefited me hugely and I got the game time I needed. Hopefully now I can kick on again next year and get more.

“The more games I get at this age the better. I’m just looking forward to getting in, getting to work straight away and getting more games under my belt and see where it takes me.”

Alan Mannus back for another season @ShamrockRovers - he is 13 clean sheets away from equalising Rovers record in the league currently held by Barry Murphy (with 97).https://t.co/AU5dUyb3SGpic.twitter.com/9Y89c4WqTK

— Macdara Ferris (@macdarabueller) December 18, 2021