However, as Roy hit the headlines the bigger clubs moved in and it then Sunderland manager Roy Keane who won his signature during August 2007 for an Eircom League record transfer fee of €500,000.
O'Donovan told the Black Cat official site at the time: "I had a choice between Fulham and Sunderland but when I spoke to the gaffer [Roy Keane] my mind was made up." (What, he didn't think about Southend.)
Roy did not make the impact his new side would have wanted and has made only 17 appearances in the Premier League.
After rumours of interest from Leeds United the 24-year old found himself loaned out to, first, the SPL's Dundee United, and then, towards the end of last season, Championship side Blackpool.
Roy has played for the Republic of Ireland at both under-21 and B international level.
He joins fellow Black Cat Jean-Yves M'Voto in the Southend first team squad and will be available for selection for Saturday's game at Brighton.
Blues boss Steve Tilson told www.southendunited.co.uk: "We have been trying to bring in a forward with pace and Roy fits the bill perfectly. He had a good goalscoring pedigree at Cork but it hasn't quite worked out at Sunderland for him. He will stretch teams which is what we require at the moment and he offers us something we don't have."
The O'Donovan Files
| Personal information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Roy O'Donovan | |
| 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 | Southend United (on loan from Sunderland) | |
| Number | 17 | |
| Youth career | ||
| Leeds A.F.C. Cork Blarney Street | ||
| Senior career1 | ||
| Years | Club | App (Gls)* |
| 2004 2005-2007 2007- 2008 2009 | Coventry City Cork City Sunderland → Dundee United (loan) → Blackpool (loan) | 0 (0) 74 (31) 17 (0) 7 (1) 12 (0) |
| National team2 | ||
| 2004-2005
| Republic of Ireland U19 Republic of Ireland U21 Republic of Ireland B | 9 (2) |
| ||
(Player info from Wikipedia, for the full article, go here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_O'Donovan)