Phoenix Patterson wants to make an explosive start at Fleetwood Town after completing his move from Waterford.
The former Tottenham youth was a revelation at the Blues, scoring 28 times in 58 appearances and was crowned PFA Ireland First Division Player of the Year this season.
But League One Fleetwood - who are managed by Celtic legend Scott Brown - were alerted to the Englishman when Cods owner Andy Pilley bought Waterford in August.
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And Patterson - who had been linked with Shamrock Rovers during the summer - could make his debut in the FA Cup clash with QPR on January 7.
Patterson, 22, said: “I’ve always wanted to come and play football in England so I’m happy that Fleetwood has given me this chance to come and test myself in League One.
“I can’t wait to get started in January. The connection between Waterford and Fleetwood helped this move, I was just trying to play the best football that I could.
“The owner and some of his staff came over to watch some of the games last season and I’d been doing well, scoring a few goals.
“It’s great that the people in charge of Fleetwood thought that I could add something to this group.
“I’ve got a few weeks now to build my fitness back up because I’ve had a break after the Irish season, so my focus now is being ready for January.”
Patterson added: “I loved every minute on the pitch with Waterford and feel very lucky to have been able to play at the RSC.
“It’s where I got my first opportunity to play senior football and I’ll be forever grateful for that.”
Fleetwood and Waterford owner Pilley wants to bring more players from Ireland to England.
He said: “We want to have this pathway. If players are excelling in the Irish league, we want to bring them across to the English Football League.
“If they do well in League One, they may find themselves in the Championship or the Premier League – that’s the model and I want to shout that from the rooftops.”
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