Ipswich Town sign Celtic defender on loan
Football League Championship outfit have announced that they have signed Celtic’s Darren O'Dea on loan for five months.
The 23-year-old will be available for the away Championship clash with Crystal Palace this weekend after linking up with his new team-mates in training for the first time. He has worked with Ipswich boss Roy Keane before, when they played together for a short spell at the Scottish Premier League giants.
Before the temporary transfer of O'Dea was sealed, Celtic boss Neil Lennon told reporters that: "He doesn't want to be a squad player, he wants to play and I can't guarantee him that. Ipswich have given him the opportunity to go and play and I think it will be good for him to get some games under his belt because we're bringing in other people allied to the ones we've got."
O’Dea started out his career with Home Farm in his hometown of Dublin before being snapped up by Celtic as a teenager. After progressing through the ranks, he made his debut for the first team in September 2006. He has since gone on to make 69 appearances in total and has scored six goals for the club across all competitions. He has also claimed two SPL winners’ medals, in the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons, while he was also part of the League Cup-winning side in 2009.
The defender found himself loaned out to Championship side Reading in September last year until January 1. He only featured eight times for the Royals as they soon found themselves stuck in a relegation battle. Despite featuring regularly for Celtic towards the end of last season – a spell which saw him named stand-in captain - the signing of Daniel Majstorovic meant that Lennon was prepared to let the player move on.
O’Dea has also won nine caps for the Republic of Ireland at Under-21 level and two for the senior side.
Tags: