Rochdale sign Joe Rafferty from Liverpool
Rochdale have confirmed the signing of Republic of Ireland under-18 international defender Joseph Rafferty from Liverpool.
18-year-old Rafferty was the captain of Liverpool u18s for the 2011-12 Academy Under 18s season, playing 26 out of 29 academy games as the Reds finished 3rd in the league table. Despite impressing with the underage set-up, he was not awarded a new contract at Anfield and moved to Rochdale on a free transfer.
Capable of playing at right-back, as well as in the centre and in midfield, Rafferty will offer plenty of options at Spotland, with assistant manager Jimmy Bell praising the youngsters versatility: “Joe was captain of the Liverpool youth team and he’s a lad I’ve known since he was six or seven years old. I used to have him as a kid at a couple of kids teams in Liverpool, he went on to get picked up by Liverpool and I have monitored his career. He’ll mature into a centre half but he will be used more as a full back or midfield player this season.”
Rochdale kick off their nPower Football League Two campaign on August 18th against Northampton.
Related posts:
Is it me or are none of our young players cutting it!!!with the exception of Mcclean (who was up until recently playing for the norths set up)and mcCarthy (who thankfully decided to play for us and not his native scotland) we really don’t have anyone under the age of 25 looking like a player.
You can say Brady, Clifford or Duffy but all three of them are 20 and haven’t really established themselves for their teams yet, or look likely to next season.
for euro 2012 the only players in the squad that were under 25 (Gibson and Mcclean) played 10 mins and zero mins between them. and both of them were farmed in the North!!!
Do we even have a youth policy anymore? Why are we not producing a crop of player like we used to? didn’t we once win a youth tournament?
I still remember when Duff, Keane, o’shea and Given all shot into their first teams as young lads, and all at the same time. 12 years later they’re still playing for us.
I get your point. There are a lot fewer young Irish players breaking into first team football in the Prem, but its not all doom and gloom. Jeff Hendrick at Derby looks a player and he is a Dub, Seamus Coleman is a few good games from a return to form and David Meyler might break through this season. Of the diaspora, Sean Murray, Samir Carruthers and Jack Grealish are all getting involved at first team level. Hopefully Conor Henderson will be next.
Sounds like Rafferty will be playing first team football at 18. With his Liverpool pedigree he could be heading up the leagues soon enough.
Leave your response!
Upcoming Matches
Recent Posts
Links
Archives
Latest Updates on Twitter