Cork City's Joe O'Brien Whitmarsh makes move to Southampton

SOUTHAMPTON have won the race to sign Cork City teenager Joe O'Brien Whitmarsh.

This follows a transfer saga that saw clubs like Chelsea and West Ham show interest in the attacking midfielder, who once lined out for Fermoy FC.

O'Brien Whitmarsh will move to the south coast and continue his development in the Saints academy.

He announced his departure with a  statement on Instagram: "I just wanted to say a massive thank you to Cork City football club for their support in developing me over the past 5 seasons. From my teammates to the supporters I have loved every part of this journey so far and will remain a Cork City fan through and through for the rest of my life. I wish you all every success in the future! Thank you City."

DEVELOPMENT

Southampton have a proven track record of signing young players and moulding them into stars; with a list of the club's alumni including Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Adam Lallana, and Gareth Bale.

O’Brien Whitmarsh joined Cork City from Fermoy AFC and he started out in the Underage National Leagues.

He first made his name locally by captaining the Cork U12 team in an Inter-League victory over South Tipperary in December 2016.

O’Brien Whitmarsh moved to City in 2019 and signed his first professional contract with the club in August 2021. The attacking midfielder made his first senior appearance for City against Midleton AFC in the semi-finals of the Munster Senior Cup in 2020.

The Rebel Army won that game 3-2 at Bishopstown and O’Brien Whitmarsh was named as a substitute for a number of games during the 2021 First Division season.

The midfielder continued to make appearances during 2022 and he stepped up to the Premier Division last year.

He announced himself at the highest level of the Irish football pyramid by scoring against Shelbourne at Tolka Park and St Patrick’s Athletic at Turner’s Cross, and that run was ended by an injury picked up at the start of the summer.

While the season ended in relegation, the performances of O'Brien Whitmarsh were one of the few positives during the final few weeks of the season.

He also scored against UCD in Belfield, a result that helped snap a four-game losing streak.

He will now play developmental football, in competitions designed to get young footballers ready for the pace of the game at senior level. 

One of those tournaments is Premier League 2 and it is the home of a number of Cork players, like Mark O'Mahony, Franco Umeh, and Cathal Heffernan.

There is also an option to play in the Premier League International Cup and the FA Youth Cup, one of the most prestigious competitions for young footballers in the world.