Newcastle United's capture of 18-year-old goalkeeper Reece Byrne has been confirmed by Irish club Bohemians. The young shot-stopper has been pictured training on Tyneside in recent weeks and recently took to Instagram to express his delight at earning a move to the Magpies.
Byrne has made one senior appearance for the League of Ireland leaders and has represented his country at under-19 level. Chronicle Live this week reported on how Newcastle are making a concerted effort to land the best Irish talent after poaching Alex Murphy from Galway United last summer.
Byrne is likely to be the first of many youth signings this year as Dan Ashworth gets to work spotting highly-rated talent both at home and abroad.
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Confirming the transfer, Bohemians manager Declan Devine said: "It’s a fantastic move for the boy. It’s not every day you get the chance to sign for a giant in the Premier League and that’s what Newcastle are.
“When I came in I gave him his first-team debut against Dundalk and I thought he did very well. This is the next step for him. He wants to get across to England and play at the highest level he can.
“His development is a testament to the academy staff and what they have done with him over the last number of years and providing him with the platform to go on and play first-team football. They deserve enormous credit. We will all look on with great interest to see how his career progresses.”
Newcastle added the likes of Jude Smith, Jordan Hackett, Charlie McArthur and Murphy to their youth ranks last summer to improve the quality of the academy and under-21 setup.
Ashworth has repeatedly talked up the possibility of similar additions in the future as the club begin to look for young, raw talent who will one day be able to mix it with the first team. Byrne is clearly highly rated in Ireland and has earned a shot at joining Eddie Howe's outfit.
“We are delighted for Reece and wish him every success with the move," Bohemians Head of Academy Craig Sexton said. “He has shown what he is capable of, performing really well at U19 level both for the club and for his country, to the point that he was given an opportunity in the first team.
“He has great ability to push on now, and his development is a testament to the hard work of the coaches working in our academy.”
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