Eoghan O’Connell enjoying fresh challenge in England

Defender Eoghan O’Connell hasn’t quite broken through at Celtic yet, but he is relishing the opportunity to impress in League One whilst on loan at Walsall for the rest of the season.

Celtic signed the Republic of Ireland U21 international as a 16-year-old from Avondale United where he’s rose through the ranks at Celtic Park prior to making his first-team debut in March 2014 against Ross County.

Since then, O’Connell has made just 13 first-team appearances for Celtic and spent most of last season out on loan, first with Oldham and later with Cork City in a bid to gain some experience, but it hasn’t helped him break into the main squad under Brendan Rodgers.

Making seven appearances for Celtic this season, and none since September, the decision was made to send O’Connell out on loan to League One side Walsall where he is enjoying the challenge.

As quoted by the Express and Star, the 21-year-old said:

Celtic are very dominant in the games in Scotland so it’s all about what you do with the ball. Here I think I have to work on the defensive side of the game and how to deal with pressure.

Games in League One are very even. Even the games we have won have been quite tight. There have been points when they could go either way.

The Millwall game for example, we had to fight to take a good point away from home. I think that is a very important aspect of the game and that is what I have to improve on.

O’Connell’s Celtic contract expires at the end of the season so his loan spell with Walsall is very much as a test to prove himself and earn a new deal at Celtic Park.