Ryan Cassidy has just turned 17 and his rise is getting more and more exciting.
The St. Kevin’s Boys product has been ripping it up in the English underage leagues with Watford and, just eight months after joining the London club as a first year scholar, he’s signed a two-year professional contract which will keep him there until 2020.
It’s no wonder either. Cassidy leads the way in the country’s under-18 ranks, having racked up 16 goals already and those feats fast-tracked him into the under-23s where, at just 16, he hit the net four times.
So Watford moved swiftly to secure his signature as a full-time pro.
16-year-old Irish striker ripping it up in England https://t.co/GJcEHkT0hV
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) January 1, 2018
In the wake of a new era for the Republic of Ireland, with Declan Rice impressive, Sean Maguire scoring for fun and Martin O’Neill seemingly willing to give the new blood their fair shake of it, the prospect of a genuine goalscorer coming on down the line is an enticing one for everyone involved.
“I’ve only been a striker for two and a half years but in them two and a half years, I scored a lot of goals.”
Whenever Joe Quinn decided to convert Cassidy from a midfielder to a striker, he catapulted the Dubliner onto new heights that he looks set to keep scaling.
And, like every natural forward, it’s not really something you can put into words. You either have it or you don’t.
“I think it’s instinct… or drive,” Cassidy said.
“I’m always eager to score goals. If I don’t score a goal, I’m not really happy.”
He’s in good company already with Watford club captain Troy Deeney already offering to take his would-be successor out for extra training sessions.
“He came in and just made me feel welcome, said ‘well done’ and said whenever I want – or he needs me – for extra training, I can just give him a call and just went on to say how hard it is to play on that pitch every week and just gave me tips how to do it – keep working hard, always improve.”
Now, it’s the start of a whole new journey. But it will probably go the same as they all did – with the ball hitting the net.
