Bohemians sign Leigh Kavanagh from Brighton

Bohemian have secured the signing of Leigh Kavanagh from Brighton and Hove Albion.

The 20-year-old centre-back moved to Brighton from Bray Wanderers in July 2020 along with Andrew Moran. 

Manager Alan Reynolds expressed his excitement about the new addition to the squad.

“Leigh is coming back home to relaunch his career, and we are delighted to have him on board because he is a really exciting young prospect,” he said.

“He fits the age profile and type of player we want to bring to the club. He’s young, he’s hungry, good on the ball, and a really good defender. We are looking forward to getting to work with him.”

Kavanagh was impressed by the club’s fanbase and the packed stadiums.

“Bohs is a huge club. The stadium is packed out every week, so Bohs caught the eye straight away when I heard the club was interested,” Kavanagh said.

The young defender also mentioned the influence of Alan Reynolds and Stephen O’Donnell.

“Alan Reynolds and Stephen O’Donnell spoke to me about the plans they have here and how they want the team to evolve, and I want to be a part of that,” he noted.

Kavanagh is looking forward to reuniting with some familiar faces at Bohemians.

“I grew up playing with and against Cian Byrne,” he said.

“I know Brian McManus well too, and he spoke very highly of the club and the set-up.”

Additionally, Kavanagh spoke with Jamie Mullins, who is currently at Brighton but came through the ranks at Bohemians.

“He gave me a real feel for the club, and I also spoke to players with the Ireland U21s who told me about Alan Reynolds and how he wants to work, so I can’t wait to get started,” Kavanagh added.

Kavanagh should be eligible to play in Thursday’s SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division match against Galway United.