Brentford have completed the signing of exciting Limerick winger Chiedozie Ogbene, subject to international clearance.
The move is a significant blow for Limerick, losing such a talented player with just two weeks to go before the start of the new League of Ireland season.
Of course, this is the way football goes. If a player is flourishing in a lower league, the chances are he is being scouted by someone higher up. That was the case with Ogbene, whose scintillating displays at Shannonside evidently marked him out as one to watch for English clubs.
He is now deservedly going to have a crack at English football with The Bees having impressed Brentford manager Dean Smith during a trial earlier this month.
“We have been monitoring Chiedozie for quite a while and we like what he can bring,” said Smith. “He came over to train with us and we could see that his personality and character ticked all the boxes for us. We are looking forward to working with him and seeing how he develops.”
And yes, while Brentford winning the race for the 20-year-old’s signature is undoubtedly frustrating for League of Ireland fans, it may benefit the Republic of Ireland in the long run.
✍️ INCOMING: Welcome, @EdozieOgbene @LimerickFCie forward signs for #BrentfordFC. pic.twitter.com/NapD2y4WI9
— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) January 30, 2018
OGBENE: #LimerickFC can confirm that Chiedozie Ogbene has joined English Championship club @BrentfordFC, for an undisclosed fee.
The 20-year-old enjoyed a fantastic first season on Shannonside in 2017, being a key figure in preserving our Premier Division status. pic.twitter.com/fZsBy8HJa6
— Limerick FC (@LimerickFCie) January 30, 2018
Like Southampton striker Michael Obafemi, Ogbene is eligible to play for either Ireland or Nigeria. Born in Nigeria, Ogbene was raised in Cork after moving to Ireland with his family in 2005. He impressed at Cork City before being snapped up by Limerick.
The winger is yet to receive a senior call-up for either Nigeria or Ireland but, considering that Martin O’Neill is committed to giving emerging youth prospects a chance, the fact that Ogbene will be playing his football at a much higher level could bode well for his international future.
Ogbene will link-up with Irishmen John Egan, Brentford’s captain, and midfielder Alan Judge, who has recently returned to action after 20 months out through injury.
It will be interesting to see how much Ogbene will feature at Griffin Park. The club are currently tenth in the Championship table, five points off the play-off positions.
While they have an outside shot at earning a spot in the top-six, it is still a shot – and having Ogbene’s pace and penetration from wide areas could prove valuable come the latter stages of the season. Better yet, if he is playing regularly in the Championship, it may make up O’Neill’s mind about calling him up for possibly Ireland’s friendlies against Turkey and France in March and May respectively.
