Oxford United outline plan for ‘impressive’ Oisin Smyth after Irish League deal

The 21-year-old makes the move out of the Irish League for an undisclosed fee on a three-and-a-half year contract and Oxford manager Karl Robinson views Smyth as ‘one for the future’.

“He’s very much one for the future,” United boss Robinson told the official club website. “He is still very raw and will have to make the adjustment to full-time football but he’s a very impressive young man who clearly wants to come here, learn, and make his mark.

“He’s a good footballer and we look forward to working with him and seeing him develop.”

Smyth is relishing the chance at career progress.

“It’s a fantastic opportunity for me and I’m really looking forward to it,” he said on the club website. “I’ve been really impressed with the facilities here and it’s definitely a club on the up.

“There are a lot of really good players here and I can’t wait to get out there on the training pitches, work as hard as I can, and make the most of my chance here.”

Smyth, the Northern Ireland under 21 international, has also paid tribute to the role played by Dungannon Swifts in his development.

“I just want to say a massive thank you to Dungannon Swifts for everything they’ve done for me,” said Smyth on the Dungannon Swifts website. “Dungannon have looked after me for almost 10 years now and I owe a lot to this club.

“It’s always been a dream of mine to move to England to play professional football and when the opportunity arose for me I didn’t think twice of grasping it with both hands.

“I would like to thank both Dungannon Swifts and Oxford United for making this move happen in such short space of time.”

In other Irish League transfer news on deadline day, Coleraine have confirmed two loan exits.

Ian Parkhill and Evan Tweed have left The