Ed McGinty joins Shamrock Rovers from Sligo Rovers ahead of 2025 campaign

Shamrock Rovers have bolstered their squad for the upcoming season with the signing of goalkeeper Ed McGinty, a move manager Stephen Bradley hopes will bring immediate competition for the number one jersey.

McGinty will be tasked with challenging Leon Pohls as the Hoops set their sights on reclaiming the Premier Division title.

The club also has European ambitions, with McGinty eligible to feature in their upcoming Europa Conference League clash against Molde next month.

McGinty, who was born in Scotland but raised in Donegal, was a standout performer for Sligo Rovers last season during his loan spell from Oxford United.

McGinty, a resident of Ballyshannon who attended Colaiste Cholmcille in as a teenager, but whose father Joe is a native of Donegal Town, began his SSE Airtricity Premier League career with Sligo Rovers back in 2016 before leaving in 2022.

Playing every game for the Bit O’ Red, the 25-year-old became a crucial part of their campaign. However, his future at Oxford looked uncertain, with six months remaining on his contract and limited prospects of breaking into the first team.

While Sligo was eager to retain McGinty on a permanent basis, the allure of European football with Shamrock Rovers proved decisive. Following McGinty’s social media announcement on Wednesday confirming his departure from Sligo, the move to Tallaght Stadium quickly materialised.

Now joining the Hoops for pre-season, McGinty will provide strong competition for Pohls, who solidified his position as Rovers’ first-choice keeper last season, missing only one game – a 2-1 defeat to St Patrick’s Athletic.

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“We’ve been talking to Ed for some time, also talking to Oxford, and these things take time when he’s signed somewhere else,” said manager Stephen Bradley. “But we are delighted to get Ed in. He was the standout keeper in the league last season and he’s grown and matured over the years, so he’s a player we think will really help us grow.”

Bradley added: “He’s a really good age and you can see when he came back into the league he showed real growth, personality, and maturity in his game.

“You need competition for places all over the team, and Ed will certainly bring that. If you look at last season, we had Leon, Lee Stacey, and Alex Noonan who were around it all the time.

“With Ed adding to that, I can see all four pushing each other in training, and that will only help standards.”