Dundalk sign striker Josh O'Connor on loan from Hibernian
Josh O'Connor Credit: Dundalk FC / Ciaran Culligan
Dundalk have announced the loan signing of 20-year-old striker Josh O'Connor from Hibernian until the end of the season.
O'Connor, an Edinburgh native, will don the number 18 shirt at Oriel Park and might make his debut in Friday night's SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division match against Bohemians at Dalymount Park.
Reflecting on the swift transfer, O'Connor said, "Everything happened quite quickly. I got the call on Tuesday, flew over on Wednesday, signed on Thursday, so it would be nice to play and score on Friday!"
O'Connor, a Hibs academy graduate who made his first-team debut against Aberdeen in March 2022, hopes to make a significant impact at Dundalk.
"There are 12 games left and I’m hoping to make a big contribution here. We’ll just take it one game at a time but I’ve already seen from training that we have enough quality to get out of danger," he added.
Last season, he was on loan at Airdrie, where he made 33 appearances, scored five goals, and helped the team win the Scottish Challenge Cup and reach the Championship playoffs.
Dundalk manager Jon Daly emphasised the need for an attacking addition following Cameron Elliott's return to Scotland.
"Josh is a little bit different from what we have. He has real pace up top and he likes to play on the shoulder, so he'll give us that threat in behind. He can also play anywhere across the front three, which is a real positive."
Daly further commented on O'Connor's experience in the Scottish Championship.
"He spent a season on loan at Airdrie last year, which is a tough level, so he's come up against some good teams and tough defenders. Hopefully, he can build on that here."
Expressing his satisfaction with the signing, Daly said, "It is difficult trying to get a striker in at this stage of the season, so we are delighted to have Josh. He was keen to come in and very enthusiastic about the move, which is important, and hopefully, he can hit the ground running for us as quickly as possible."
Daly also mentioned the potential for a future deal.
"The loan move gives us a good chance to look at him and if everything goes well, then potentially we could maybe do something in January."
