Shamrock Rovers swoop for St Pat's winger Jake Mulraney

Darragh Nugent lined up to move the other way in player exchange deal

Jake Mulraney had a queue of clubs lining up to sign him. Pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

Champions Shamrock Rovers have bolstered their attacking depth by agreeing a deal to sign Jake Mulraney from St Patrick’s Athletic.

The pacy winger, a former Ireland U21 teammate of Declan Rice, committed to the Saints 12 months ago on a long-term contract extension but was recently informed he could explore other options.

Mulraney, 29, agreed a two-year deal to move but the transaction was connected to a swap deal involving Darragh Nugent, negating a fee for either under-contract player.

His former loan club Drogheda United were also in the hunt for 24-year-old Nugent but the player who was part of the Hoops’ European group stage adventures for the past two seasons settled on a closer move to their south Dublin rivals.

Mulraney had interest from the Hoops when the Dubliner decided in 2023 to return from the Major League Soccer in America where he’d lined out for Atlanta United and Orlando.

He opted for the Saints, soon becoming a fans’ favourite with his wing wizardry. Indeed, some of his most impressive performances came in the games against Rovers in 2023 and 2024.

His professional career began as a Nottingham Forest apprentice, before moving to QPR and then more productive spells in Scotland Inverness and Hearts.

Mulraney’s last contract made him the highest paid player at Pat’s but that didn’t stop a a queue of clubs vying for his signature, including Shelbourne, Bohemians and Derry City.

Rovers carried the largest appeal, particularly with their return to the Champions League this summer.

Meanwhile, Rovers announced on Wednesday that Seán Kavanagh had made the move from player to coach, joining Stephen Bradley's staff for the 2026 season which gets underway against Derry City in the President’s Cup on Saturday, January 31.

“With Stephen having some time away, that was definitely a factor,” Bradley said about the recent decision of Stephen McPhail to resign as sporting director.

“Stephen was obviously a big influence in the staff room and coaches room. Experience has taught us it is a heavy load throughout the year in terms of preparing for and recovering from games.

“I think Seán will be a really welcome addition to help all the staff, especially Glenn Cronin and I.” 

Elsewhere, Galway United have announced that both Francely Lomboto and Al-Amin Kazeem have rejoined the club. 25-year-old Galway native Lomboto returns to Eamonn Deacy Park after spells with Sligo Rovers and Glenavon while 23-year-old Kazeen left the club in the summer of 2024 to join St Pat's.