Dundalk FC continue UK recruitment through addition of Archie Davis

As we creep closer to the beginning of the new season, Dundalk FC have continued to bring new blood into their squad from the UK with the news coming last night that they had reached an agreement with Aldershot Town for defender Archie Lewis.

The 24-year-old, whose primary position is right back, signs a multi-year deal at Oriel Park, having built up a reputation as a reliable starter in both League Two and the National League, the fourth and fifth tiers of English Football.

Lewis learned his trade via the Brighton and Hove Academy, but would only make a single senior Senior appearance for the Seagulls, that coming in the League Cup. He moved to Crawley Town in 2019, making 70 appearances across two seasons.

Last June he made the jump to Aldershot, where he was once again a mainstay at the heart of their defense. He has made 26 appearances to date, playing as recently as last Tuesday. By Thursday morning he was over in Louth training with his new teammates.

“Things have moved really quickly over the past few days,” Davies told dundalkfc.com upon completing his move to the League of Ireland. 

“Yesterday, I was just chilling at home and late last night I was on my way to the airport. It’s a good thing to get it done so quickly and I'm just looking forward to getting started properly now.

“The club is obviously back in Europe this summer and that’s something I’m really excited about. When you take that into account, it was a no-brainer for me to come to Dundalk. It’ll be a first for me, but it's another challenge I'm really looking forward to.”

Having secured Lewis' signature, the club now has brought in five players from the UK following the arrivals of Louie Annesley, Hayden Muller, Connor Malley and Cameron Elliott as the Lilywhites take a unique approach towards recruitment this year.

“Archie is a full back that is very comfortable on the ball,” stated Dundalk FC head coach Stephen O’Donnell. “He gets into good forward areas and delivers good quality. He is a very good footballer with a great age profile and we’re delighted to have him on board.

"He's really looking forward to the challenge ahead. It’s something new for him and he’s another player that we can develop and is hungry to get better. He's been at a Premier League club and has also been in the lower leagues in England and, for a 24-year-old, he's got really good experience.”