Leitrim's Eanna Clancy signs with Dutch side VVV-Venlo

Dutch second division soccer will gain a new following in Leitrim, and around Manorhamilton in particular, after former Manorhamilton Rangers player Eanna Clancy signed for Dutch side VVV-Venlo.

Clancy, who played League of Ireland football with Sligo Rovers and UCD and captaining the students, has joined VV-Venlo, the Eerste Divisie side based in Limburg, about an hour from Eindhoven in the south of the country.

After completing his students in UCD, Clancy attracted a lot of interest from clubs in the SSE Airtricity Premier Division but opted to join the Dutch team on a two-year deal after completing his degree in the Dublin university.

Speaking to the the VVV-Venlo club website, Eanna said “I am very happy with this step to VVV-Venlo. After my years at University College Dublin, I was ready for a new challenge and the opportunity to play football in the Netherlands immediately appealed to me.

“The conversations with the club have given me a good feeling and I think this is a nice environment for me to develop myself further. I look forward to getting to know my team-mates and the staff and to play in De Koel for the first time.”

VVV-Venlo technical director Lino Dörrer is delighted to see Clancy join the club: “Eanna is a very talented defender who, despite his young age, has already gained a lot of experience at senior level. He was captain at his previous club and therefore brings the necessary personality with him. We see in him a player with a lot of potential and are convinced that he can develop further at VVV-Venlo.”