Blackburn Rovers sign winger Aodhan Doherty from Linfield
Aodhan Doherty swaps Linfield for Blackburn Credit: Clare McCahill (ETPhotos)
Blackburn Rovers have secured the signing of highly-rated winger Aodhan Doherty from Linfield on a three-year deal, running until June 2027.
The Northern Ireland youth international joins after an impressive season with Linfield, where he made 13 first-team appearances before turning 18.
Doherty was also part of Linfield’s squad for their European matches last summer. He recently made his debut for Northern Ireland’s Under-18 team in a match against England at St. George’s Park, playing alongside new Rovers team-mate Tom Atcheson.
Expressing his excitement about joining Blackburn, Doherty said, “I’m very happy to be here. I’m glad it’s got sorted and hopefully I can get going from the very start and do the best that I can and work my way up to the first team. It’s a very big move for me and my family. I’ve always dreamt of being a professional footballer and so I’m glad to come over here and get a chance to play in England, and hopefully I can succeed.”
He also highlighted the importance of this move for Northern Irish players.
“Wherever you’re from, playing in England is always where you want to play. Especially if you’re from Northern Ireland, not too many people get the chance to play in England, so I’m glad to be one of the lucky ones.”
Doherty spoke highly of his new club, saying, “Blackburn Rovers is a very big club, they’ve won the Premier League, the stadium’s unbelievable, the fans are top notch, they’re a very good team and a very well-run professional club, so I’m glad to now be a part of the team.”
He added, “One of the big reasons why I came here was because it’s a very family-orientated club and they always want to produce Academy graduates and I want to be one of those young players who makes it through to the first team.”
