Irish players moving to Celtic seems like a natural fit, with the Scottish club have strong connections to this island going right back to its founding in 1888.
However, players from this part of the world have found the going rather difficult there in recent times. A number of highly rated young prospects have moved to Parkhead over the last few seasons but few have made much of an impact.
Liam Scales has been heavily linked with a move away from the club this summer, while Jonathan Afolabi and Lee O'Connor have been moved around lower league sides in Scotland and England after their moves to Glasgow.
Luca Connell has suffered more than most.
Having come through the ranks at Bolton Wanderers and starred in the Championship as 17-year old in the 2018/19 campaign, many people were rightly excited about his future in the game. The Liverpool born midfielder had represented Ireland at various youth levels and it was thought he would be fast-tracked into the senior setup. In fact, he was even called up by Mick McCarthy in May of 2019, although he would pull out due to a minor muscle injury.
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When the financially struggling Bolton sold him to Celtic in the summer of 2019 for a £350,000 fee, many expected him to make an immediate impact at the club.
Three years later, he would leave Glasgow having next made a senior appearance for the club. Connell had two spells on loan at Queen's Park in the lower league during this spell, before his release was announced at the start of this month.
Luca Connell signs for new club
The player has now found himself a new club, hoping to reignite his career by returning to English football.
Barnsley have announced that they have signed Luca Connell on a free transfer, with the player putting pen to paper on a three-year deal.
🤝 We are delighted to announce the arrival of midfielder Luca Connell on a three-year contract!
— Barnsley FC (@BarnsleyFC) June 17, 2022
Speaking to the club website, Connell said that his agent, who is a Barnsley native, played a key role in getting him to the League One side having previously recruited the likes of Conor Hourihane and Kieran Trippier to Yorkshire.
I’m over the moon to finally get it done.
Over the years there’s been some speculation about it happening, but I’m finally here and I’m happy to be a Barnsley player.
My agent is from Barnsley, so he’s told me about the history of the club. He brought [Conor] Hourihane and [Kieran] Tripper to the club, so there’s high standards. I just know that we need to bounce back to get this club back where it belongs.
Barnsley finished bottom of the Championship last season, although they are likely to be among the favourites for promotion during the upcoming campaign.
Luca Connell will be hoping to finally getting his career back on track at the club. Still only 21-years old, he has plenty of time to play himself back onto the international scene.
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