“He deserves it,” Horgan on Dundalk FC defender Leonard's journey to Norwich

Dundalk FC captain Daryl Horgan has heaped praise on young defender Vinnie Leonard following the announcement that the Navan-born teenager has signed a pre-contract agreement with English Championship club Norwich City for a reported fee of around €400,000, plus add-ons.

Leonard, who turns 18 next month, falls within the eligibility rules for a cross-border transfer under post-Brexit regulations, meaning he will remain at Oriel Park until the end of June before moving to Carrow Road in July.

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On Friday night, Leonard featured in Dundalk’s 1-1 SSE Airtricity League Premier Division draw with Drogheda United, marking his 37th league appearance for The Lilywhites – a tally that could rise to 57 before he completes his move to Norwich.

“He deserves it,” Horgan told The Democrat. “He probably wasn’t expecting much last year, in a sense, but came in incredible shape and a bit of luck with injuries, which always has to happen, and then we couldn’t drop him; he was outrageous.

“He went to that World Cup, looked like a man. He and Michael Noonan looked really levels above anyone else I saw in the competition, and he deserves it. He’s going, and Norwich is an opportunity. Maybe he can go in, push himself into that team now as well, which would be fantastic for him.”

Horgan is no stranger to a cross-channel move. Almost a decade has passed since he swapped Dundalk for Preston North End, embarking on a career that would bring sustained exposure in the English Championship and later in the Scottish Premiership with Hibernian, in addition to 17 senior caps for the Republic of Ireland.

Now 33, Horgan was the standout performer in the League of Ireland at the time of his departure, yet no transfer fee was forthcoming.

The Galwegian, however, takes satisfaction from what he sees as a healthier domestic landscape, one in which young players can develop at home and clubs are increasingly rewarded financially for nurturing their most promising talent.

“The facilities are improving. The academies are getting funded. You had Damien Duff, one of the best players ever to play for Ireland, managing. You’ve got James McClean, with a hundred-odd caps for Ireland, playing in the league now.

“The interest, not just media interest, because media interest and public interest at times is chicken and egg. One needs to lead the other. But I think both have risen and I’m not sure which came first, to be honest, but it’s brilliant that it’s there.

“The league in ‘14, ‘15, ‘16 was not as professional. It’s starting to really look like an industry. There were really good people, but at Dundalk we were part-time.

“Now you’ve got the 10 teams full-time, so you’re looking at a lot of teams really pushing the boundaries and the support that’s coming with that as well, and there’s a real feel-good factor about everything.

“What’s the old saying? When the sea rises, all boats rise, so we need to keep rising and get better and better and better.”