Shelbourne have been hit with a blow to their League of Ireland Premier Division titles hopes after Aberdeen announced the signing of Gavin Molloy for an undisclosed fee on July 1st.
The 22-year-old defender has made 79 appearances for Shels and excelled this season, his final match a clean sheet over Waterford on Thursday.
Shelbourne were eager for Molloy, the grandson of former captain Theo Dunne, to stay at Tolka Park, but he made the decision to continue his career in Scotland.
“It’s emotional to leave; these have been the best three years of my life. The fans have made me feel really comfortable, I’ve flourished at Tolka, and I’ve loved every minute of it,” Molloy said. “Missing out on Europe will be tough but I’ve always wanted to play across the water, which is the dream of any young lad, and I’m fulfilling it now.
Rúben Amorim’s road from the Portuguese third tier to Manchester United manager
Eileen Gleeson names Ireland squad for Euro 2025 playoff against Wales
Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City contract extension shows he still has the eye of the tiger
Kosovo to appeal against Uefa-imposed 3-0 loss for leaving field over pro-Serbia chants
“Playing at Tolka and representing Shels has been the highlight of my life. The pride I felt is indescribable. My family are Shels fanatics, so with my bloodline, my grandad, it makes it really special. I’ll be back as a fan, there’ll be no doubt about it”
“Speaking on behalf of everyone, I want to wish Gavin the best of luck, he’s a fabulous boy, a class act and he never gave me a moment of trouble,” manager Damien Duff said. “We wish him all the best. We’re sad to see Gavin go of course, but that is the way of the world now.
“The club will move on like it did after Tony Sheridan, Jack Moylan, and Wes Hoolahan left. We’ll do our business, we’ll be sharing some signings very soon, and we’ll adapt as we always have done.”
Shelbourne are two points ahead of Derry City with a game in hand.
- Sign up for push alerts and have the best news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone
- Join The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date
- Listen to our Inside Politics podcast for the best political chat and analysis