Teahan “didn’t really take much convincing” to sign for Dundalk FC

Dundalk FC have announced the signing of 21-year-old Ronan Teahan from Kerry FC.

After rising through the Kingdom ranks and clocking up an impressive 107 senior appearances, the youngster has traded Mounthawk Park for Oriel Park.

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Arriving for his first day at Oriel Park, Teahan says the transition has been welcoming.

“Yeah, very good. I have obviously met a few of the players today, and they were all very welcoming, so I'm happy to be here and looking forward to getting started now.”

The new recruit says the club’s stature spoke for itself.

“It didn’t really take much convincing, to be honest. It’s a huge club here, and there’s a really good squad here as well, so it was pretty easy for me to make up my mind.”

He’s already had a taste of the Oriel Park atmosphere as an away player, having scored a brace in a 3-3 draw back in August.

“I had a pretty good game that day, so I suppose I’ve set the bar now and hopefully I can score a lot of goals for this club and keep playing like that.”

Leaving Kerry was always going to be a significant step, but the history of Dundalk made the decision easy.

“It’s a huge club, isn’t it? It’s probably the biggest in the country, and obviously has a massive fanbase as well, so it was an easy decision for me.

“I’m grateful for everything Kerry gave me as well. They brought me through, and I had a good time there as well.”

He scored five goals and had four assists last season, but knows his end product will be under the microscope in the Premier Division.

“100%. That's probably one of the parts to my game that I was told I need to improve on, and I think I can get even better at my end product in front of goal, so hopefully I can build on that.”

Teahan is eager to learn from the more experienced players who have represented club and country, such as captain Daryl Horgan.

“It's very good. I'm obviously still a young player, so I have got a lot to learn and having someone like him in the building is going to make it easy for me to learn.

“Clearly, the manager (Ciarán Kilduff) gives young players a chance here. He’ll put you out on the pitch and give you a chance, so you just have to prove yourself.

“It's going to be tough. It's a league I haven't played in before, but we have a really good squad and a good management team, so I would be confident going into the season.

“The fans were pretty crazy, to be fair. They love the club, and they love the town, so you can tell there is a lot of passion here, and I am looking forward to playing in front of them.”

Kerry FC posted on their social media: We can confirm that Ronan Teahan has departed Kerry Football Club. Despite our best efforts since July to keep Ronan in the Kingdom, he has decided to take on the challenge of the Premier Division with Dundalk.

From his earliest days in the KDL & Kerry FC Academy, he has shown immense talent and commitment, embodying the values of our club both on and off the pitch.

We are proud to have played our part in Ronan's development, providing him with the platform and opportunities to showcase his ability at senior League of Ireland level.

His progress is a testament to the importance that Kerry FC give to nurturing young players and giving them a chance to shine While we are sad to see him leave, we are equally proud to see him take this next step in his career.

Everyone at Kerry FC wishes Ronan the very best as he embarks on this new chapter. Thank you, Ronan, for your contribution to Kerry FC. You will always be part of our story.