Sligo Rovers goalkeeper Luke McNicholas has signed a new deal which will keep him at The Showgrounds until the end of the 2024 season.
The Mayo man originally joined the Bit O' Red from Manulla back in 2019 before embarking on loan spells with Finn Harps and Cliftonville in 2021.
While he didn't make a star for Harps during his time there, he made 14 appearances in the Danske Bank Premiership with Cliftonville last season before returning to the Rovers setup.
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With the departure of former No.1 Ed McGinty to Oxford United, McNicholas has stepped into the breach of late - most notably keeping two clean sheets in Sligo's eye-catching Europa Conference League triumph against Motherwell over two legs.
John Russell's side made waves against the Scottish side as they followed up a 1-0 victory at Fir Park stadium with a 2-0 win at home against The Steelmen.
That home win featured a stunning goal from Shane Blaney who launched an incredible free kick into the top corner of the net after just four minutes to send The Showgrounds into raptures.
Substitute Max Mata iced the tie in added time as he notched Sligo's second of the night to rubberstamp a 3-0 win on aggregate.
And with a platform for more European success now at their fingertips, McNicholas is eager for more magical ties on the big stage.
He said: "I’m delighted to have extended my stay here at the club.
"I feel like we are pushing in the right direction and working well under John Russell and his staff and I feel like there is great opportunities here for young players like myself and I am excited for the future.
‘"It has been a great experience playing in The European games and we all want to experience games like that more often, which we will aim to do on a regular basis moving forward."
McNicholas worked his way through the club's Academy system before getting his chance for the senior team, with spells at Under-17 and Under-19 level providing the pathway to opportunities with the first team.
Sligo manager John Russell was full of praise for the 22-year-old.
He said: "I’m delighted that Luke has committed himself to Sligo Rovers for the next two and half years.
"Luke has all the attributes to play at the highest level.
"He has come up through the academy system here and is a current Irish U21 International.
"He gained valuable first team experience during his loan move at Cliftonville last season and now he is ready to be the number one at Sligo Rovers."
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