Roy O'Donovan; now at Hartlepool after a month on loan with the Shrimpers
Southend United have had many fine players on loan over the last couple of seasons, it's fair to say the striker Roy O'Donovan, from Premiership Sunderland, was not one of them.
Well, he's now joined the team the Shrimpers face next in a vital game at the bottom of the table, Hartlepool United.
He did score on his debut at Brighton, a tap-in from close range, but never remotely showed any of the goal scoring reputation he's achieved while in Ireland, and certainly not for former manager Roy O'Keane, who coughed up the dosh to take him to the Black Cats.
Blues skipper Adam Barrett even suggesting O'Donovan didn't want to play for the club after a less than inspiring game in the JPT defeat at MK Dons.
However, O'Donovan has had a decent couple of games since moving to Victoria Park, maybe due to a Monkey Hanger squad full of former team mates from Cork City in Denis Behan, Joe Gamble and Leon McSweeney.
Add striker Colin Larkin and midfielder Alan Power and the Pool could change their strip to green and white stripes at any moment!
Certainly Sweeney believes the camaraderie built up by the men from across the Irish sea can only help Hartlepool in their fight to stay in League One.
Sweeney told www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk: "We'll be all drinking Guinness soon I think! There's a few Irish lads and it helps they've all played together before at Cork City. I've not been at a new club but I would assume when you come in and know a few people, it helps you bed in that little bit quicker. Hopefully the Irish lads will help each other out."
Should be quite a St. Patricks Day in the north-east!
The O'Donovan Files
| Personal information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Roy Simon O'Donovan[1] | |
| Date of birth | 10 August 1985 (1985-08-10) | |
| Place of birth | Cork, Ireland | |
| Height | 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in) | |
| Playing position | Winger, Forward | |
| Club information | ||
| Current club | Hartlepool United (on loan from Sunderland) | |
| Number | 32 | |
| Youth career | ||
| Leeds A.F.C. Cork Blarney Street | ||
| Senior career1 | ||
| Years | Club | App (Gls)* |
| 2004 2005-2007 2007- 2008 2009 2009 | Coventry City Cork City Sunderland → Dundee United (loan) → Blackpool (loan) → Southend United (loan) | 0 (0) 74 (31) 17 (0) 7 (1) 12 (0) 3 (1) |
| National team2 | ||
| 2004-2005 2006-2007 | Republic of Ireland U19 Republic of Ireland U21 Republic of Ireland B | 9 (2) |
| ||
(Player information supplied by Wikipedia, for the full article go here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_O'Donovan)