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Evan Caffrey joined Shels from UCD before the start of the 2023 season.

Caffrey is a grandson of the late Reds legend Theo Dunne, the only man to lead an Irish club out at the Nou Camp after the Reds visit there for the European Cup clash in 1963 and an FAI Cup winner in 1960.

The 19-year-old came through the underage system at Shamrock Rovers, playing with their U15s in 2018, where he played under Damien Duff and their U17s in 2019.

In 2021, Caffrey joined UCD and scored on his debut for them in a 2-1 win against Wexford at the Belfield Bowl in July. The midfielder went on to make 9 appearances that season for the Students.

The Dubliner was an ever present under Andy Myler for 2022 as the Students did enough to secure Premier Division status in the SSE Airtricity league for 2023 by beating Waterford FC in the promotion/relegation play-off 1-0 at Richmond Park.

Caffrey made 36 appearances for UCD including 31 starts, scoring two goals, including a memorable long range effort against Finn Harps that proved vital at season’s end, as UCD finished above Ollie Horgan’s side.

A versatile midfielder who is technically proficient on the ball, the addition of Caffrey to the squad before the 2023 season started was a boost to the Reds options in the middle of the park.