Celtic defender Eoghan O’Connell has completed a move to Bury, it has been confirmed.
The Scottish club announced on their official website on Thursday evening that the 21-year-old had agreed to join the League One side on a three-year-deal.
O’Connell had joined the Celtic academy ranks at the age of 16, but had struggled to make the step up to the first-team setup, and mustered only 13 appearances for the senior side.
He made four appearances during Celtic’s Champions League campaign last season, but was offloaded mid-way through the campaign by manager Brendan Rodgers after he fell down the pecking-order.
The Republic of Ireland youngster sealed a winter move to Walsall until the end of the season, where he made 17 appearances for the League One side during his short loan spell.
But he has since sealed an immediate return to the English third-tier, and will join up with his new Bury team-mates ahead of the 2017-18 season, bringing to an end his five-year association with Celtic.
However, O’Connell’s departure does not necessarily force Celtic chief Rodgers into reinforcing his defensive options, as he already has substantial cover in the centre-back position.
O’Connell found himself behind Mikael Lustig, Erik Sviatchenko, Jozo Simunovic, Dedryck Boyata and Kolo Toure in the queue for a first-team role, and Rodgers still has all five at his disposal.
Celtic are bidding to retain all three domestic titles next season, having completed the 2016-17 season with an unbeaten record across all domestic competition.