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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Sport
Paul O'Hehir

Blackpool keen to work with Andy Lyons at earliest opportunity

Blackpool want to get their hands on Andy Lyons at the earliest possible opportunity.

The wing-back, 22, has been a revelation since joining Shamrock Rovers from Bohemians this season.

But he is joining the English Championship club in January on a three-and-a-half year deal.

Rovers and Blackpool confirmed the transfer in August with the Hoops to pocket a ‘significant’ six-figure sum, worth over €350,000.

And Shamrock Rovers stand to make more than that with various add-ons factored into the terms of sale.

Shamrock Rovers' Andy Lyons (©INPHO/Evan Treacy)

Rovers, bidding for a third league title in a row, play their final game of the season - against UCD - on November 6.

And with hopes of progressing to Europe’s knockout stages dashed with two games to go, Blackpool are keen to work with Lyons sooner rather than later.

Lyons cannot play for his new club until January 1 and Blackpool boss Michael Appleton said: “I’m not sure of what the legalities of it are.

“But if there’s an opportunity for that to happen we would obviously be very keen to get him in as early as we possibly can to integrate him.”

Speaking to the ‘The Gazette’ in Blackpool, Appleton added: “If that’s the case, that’s almost a perfect scenario to do that.”

The English Championship season breaks from November 13 to December 9 because of the World Cup in Qatar.

But Blackpool hope to stage a warm-weather training camp in Spain in that time, with Appleton keen to have Lyons involved.

With Jordan Gabriel sidelined until January, Blackpool’s only fit right-back is Callum Connolly.

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