Shelbourne Football Club is delighted to announce the signing of Aiden O’Brien, subject to international clearance.
The 30-year-old forward has signed a multi-year deal with the club, bringing a wealth of experience from his time in the English Football League.
A versatile attacker, O’Brien most recently played for Shrewsbury Town, following spells with Portsmouth, Sunderland, and Millwall, where he made a combined total of 188 league appearances and scored 68 career goals in England.
Born in Islington, London, O’Brien began his professional career with Millwall, where he spent nine years and made over 200 appearances before leaving in 2020.
Since departing the Den in 2020, O’Brien has been at five clubs: Sunderland, Portsmouth, Shrewsbury, as well as loan spells at Gillingham and Sutton.
O’Brien brings international experience to the Shels dressing room, having represented the Republic of Ireland at various levels, including the senior team where he won five caps. He made his debut for Ireland in 2018 and scored his first senior international goal against Poland, which was later named the 2018 FAI International Goal of the Year.
Aiden O’Brien said: “I am pleased to join Shelbourne FC and embark on this new adventure. This decision was largely supported by the excellent staff and manager who helped me through the negotiation and made sure the deal worked for me and my family. I have heard such good things about the team and can’t wait to be part of it. Moving to Dublin was a big decision; my grandmother was born there and I had a great relationship with her. It feels like the right decision for me and where I am in my career. I am ready to go and so excited to help bring this club back to where it belongs.”
Damien Duff, Shelbourne FC Manager said: “Important moment, important signing. Exciting times, exciting player. Aiden brings a wealth of experience and quality but most importantly presence, personality, leadership and a stone cold belief. Aiden was desperate to come which I found so refreshing. He lives for pressure and responsibility so he has come to the right place at the right time. This signing is a big statement by the club. Time To Rise Again.”
Luke Byrne, Shelbourne FC Technical Director said: “Aiden brings with him so many things we are looking for; experience, personality, presence, hunger. He’s shown a real desire to come here and be a part of the club. He’s a proud Irishman and very excited at moving over here. The great thing about Aiden is that regardless of what he’s achieved in his career, he’s still extremely hungry to improve and succeed and that’s important to us. The fans will take to his style of play straight away and he’s raring to get out there at Tolka and make an impact.”