Safaei confirmed in Dundalk FC first-team

Dundalk FC have announced that goalkeeper, Samuel Safaei, will be part of Ciarán Kilduff’s first-team squad for the 2025 SSE Airtricity Men’s First Division season.

Sammy arrived at Oriel Park in the summer of 2023 from Bray Wanderers and the Dubliner has been most impressive, collecting the club’s Under-20 Player of the Year award last season while also catching the eye of Kilduff in pre-season training.

The young stopper, who turns 20 in March, is set to be given an opportunity in the first team when Dundalk take on Usher Celtic in their second match of Leinster Senior Cup Group B at Oriel Park tonight, kick-off 7.45pm.

Safaei – who Kilduff singled out for praise earlier in pre-season – was in around the first-team squad last year and played in the Leinster Senior Cup group match against Bohemians at Oriel Park last February where both clubs fielded their Under-20s.

For him, tonight will provide a true taste of first-team action, as he steps up having been on the bench for Friday’s 4-0 win over Malahide United in Oriel.

“I’m really excited, a new group, I think we can all work together and work hard – we have a good squad this year,” Sammy told dundalkfc.com, looking ahead to the 2025 season. “Pre-season has been really good. We’ve all put in a shift.

“I feel like I’ve been doing really well. The gaffer gave me a chance to play against Shelbourne, and he’s giving me another chance to perform on Monday.”

Safaei – from East Wall in the capital – will compete with Enda Minogue, who has arrived from Athlone Town and been given the No1 jersey, and Peter Cherrie, the 41-year-old veteran who is the goalkeeping coach in Kilduff’s management staff.

“We work really well together,” Safaei said. “They’re both great lads. We all push each other. We work really hard. I think we can really push each other this year, all three of us.”

The 19-year-old started his career at his local club East Wall and then moved to Drumcondra before switching to Home Farm at Under-14 level.

He earned a move to Shelbourne where he spent two years and then had another two years at Bray before arriving in Oriel.

Safaei is the 19th confirmed member of Kilduff’s squad for this year and he is relishing the opportunity to be part of the senior setup, as he made the point of highlighting the community feel around the club.

“I love it here,” he said, reflecting on his 18 months in Louth. “There’s a great backroom staff; everyone gets on well together. It’s a real community I feel. With Dundalk, it’s a proper community. We all work really well together.”

“I think my aim for this year would be to break through,” Sammy added, “personally, and get a few games under my belt.”

Ahead of Monday, he said: “I’m looking forward to it. I’ll be ready. I thought we were very, very solid on Friday. We did all that we were working on during the week well. There are good signs.”

2025 SQUAD NUMBERS: 1. Enda Minogue (GK), 2. Conor O’Keeffe, 3. Seán Keogh, 4. Mayowa Animasahun, 5. Seán McHale*, 6. Aodh Dervin (vice-captain), 7. Daryl Horgan (captain), 8. Harry Groome, 9. Dean Ebbe, 10. Leo Gaxha, 11. Gbemi Arubi, 12. Luke Mulligan, 14. Norman Garbett, 15. Vinnie Leonard, 16. Eoin Kenny, 17. Keith Ward, 18. Peter Cherrie (GK), 20. Sammy Safaei (GK),23. Andy Paraschiv. *On loan from Saint Patrick’s Athletic.