Cobh Ramblers sign new player from Reading ahead of first home game

COBH Ramblers FC have secured the loan signing of midfielder Claudio Osorio from English Championship side Reading until the end of June.

He made his Reading first-team debut in 2021 in the Carabao Cup and the 20-year-old has come through the U18, U21 and U23 squads at the club. Osorio also has represented England at U15 level and having impressed with Ramblers during pre-season.

Ramblers host to Wexford FC on Friday night at St Colman’s Park in their first home league game of the 2023 League Of Ireland First Division season.

After winning against Kerry last time out, manager Shane Keegan will be hoping his side can build on that victory.

“If you go through the Wexford FC team sheet on paper and it looks exceptionally strong, arguably more firepower than anywhere when you look at Jordan Adeyemo, Aaron Dobbs and the return of Danny Furlong.

“You’ve got the two Levingstons, they are fantastic footballers, along with the crew from Longford that they have brought in. It is a really, really strong line-up. I think it will be right up there with the toughest of games we will have all season.

“But at the same time, given how last Friday night went for us and how pre-season has gone in general, we have to be confident of giving it a good crack.” 

YOUNG GUNS

Although signings such as Jack Doherty and Wilson Waweru caught the eye in the off-season, Ramblers have promoted some talented young players into the first team. Tiernan O’Brien was one of the goalscorers in the win over Kerry. Justin Eguaibor and Adrien Thibaut are other young Ramblers players to keep an eye on this term.

“It is brilliant and it should be a major attraction for underage players in the region, that you come into our academy setup, you perform in our academy setup.

We will pick teams based on what we have seen and based on performances. 

"Tiernan has gone from there straight into the first 11 and he has rewarded our confidence in him by having a brilliant all round game and coming up with a really important goal.

“Look there are plenty more of them there as well. I think it should be very encouraging for young local talent, that this is a club where you really can break into the first team by coming through from the youth ranks.”