Cork City sign midfielder Rio Shipston on loan from Sheffield Wednesday 

Cork City have brought in midfielder Rio Shipston on loan from Sheffield Wednesday until the end of June.

The 20-year-old moves to Turner’s Cross after breaking through the Owls academy and into the first-team at Hillsborough, where he made five appearances between EFL League One and various cup competitions.

Shipston will be here for City’s full preseason schedule, which starts with a friendly against Treaty United on Saturday at the home of Mayfield United.

The Rebel Army will also face Carrigaline United in the Munster Senior Cup Round of 16 at Ballea Park this month, in addition to games organised against Waterford and Bohemians.

City are also pencilled in to play Cobh Ramblers at St Colman’s Park, with a date yet to be decided.

Shipston made sure to mention these fixtures when announced by the club on Monday evening.

“I’m really happy to be here. I can’t wait to get going,” he said. 

“We’ve got some friendlies coming up, and I just can’t wait to get playing now.

”It took a long while, but we managed to get it done. I know a bit about the league, it’s a very good standard and I know Cork City has a huge and passionate fanbase, so I can’t wait to get on the pitch.” 

City boss Tim Clancy told the club’s media team: “This is one that we’ve been working on for a long time. 

"We’ve been in discussions with both Rio and Sheffield Wednesday for a while now, and we are delighted to have him here and in training. 

"He’s met the group and trained well this morning. He’s a very exciting young midfielder and I know the City fans will like him.” 

The midfielder joined Sheffield Wednesday at the age of seven and he made his debut in the Papa John’s Trophy during the 2022-23 season.

Shipston was cited for his close technical ability after signing a professional deal at Hillsborough in December 2022.

He made his first team debut as a substitute during a 5-0 victory over Cambridge United in January 2023.

Sheffield Wednesday are slowly developing a relationship with the Rebel County, with their first-team including former Ringmahon Rangers and Cobh Ramblers player Gabriel Otegbayo.

The centre back broke through earlier this season after coming on as a substitute during an EFL Cup tie with Hull City.

The Owls won, and Otegbayo also featured during a bout with Blackpool in the Third Round.

The defender scored his first ever senior goal for Sheffield Wednesday recently in a 2-2 draw with Millwall.

Otegbayo managed to hit a late-equaliser for his club, who are fighting to get into the play-off spots in the EFL Championship.