16-year-old Cian O’Shea, our first-year scholar goalkeeper, has been announced in the Republic of Ireland U19 international squad.
Signed by County at U15 level, Cian has impressed the staff at the Academy during his time at the Club. The young goalkeeper has gone from strength-to-strength, and his hard work and positive attitude hasn’t gone unnoticed.
While away with Republic or Ireland U19s, Cian will feature in the Slovenia Nations Cup. The teams Cian will face against are:
- Slovenia
- France
- Kazakhstan
Cian is the first County Academy player to be called up for international duty since we gained Category Three status following our re-introduction to the Football League in 2022.
Speaking on his call-up, Cian said:
“I’m delighted to receive a call-up, and to be offered such a good opportunity. I’d like to thank everyone involved for helping me to reach this moment, but in particular the staff at Stockport County. They helped me day-in day-out to reach this milestone.”
Academy Head of Goalkeeping Tom Conway said:
“As a Club, academy and goalkeeping department, we couldn’t be prouder of Cian for earning his place at the Republic of Ireland’s U19 Camp in Slovenia. This opportunity is a testament to Cian’s unwavering dedication to becoming the best goalkeeper he can be.
“Cian joined us at the U15 level from his local grassroots team, having previously represented England Schoolboys (ISFA). Since joining, his development has been remarkable. At just 16 years old, Cian has already represented the U18s (as an U16), trained with Nick Colgan and our first-team goalkeepers, and gained valuable experience playing senior football on loan at Stockport Town.
“Our Goalkeeping Programme is designed to maximise our contact time with all goalkeepers within the Academy. A special thanks goes to our Academy Goalkeeping Coaches, Stevie Everall and Rhys Williams, whose commitment and outstanding work are reflected in Cian’s success.”
