Reading FC sign former Imps captain
Paudie O'Connor has signed from Lincoln on a free transfer
Reading Football Club has signed former Lincoln City captain Paudie O'Connor on a four year contract until the summer of 2029.
An experienced 27 year old centre back, Paudie joins the Royals on a free transfer having departed Lincoln City following the expiration of his contract.
Boasting almost 350 professional appearances to date, the Irishman heads to Berkshire having captained the Imps for the past two seasons in Sky Bet League One.
Commitment
Club Chairman, Rob Couhig, spoke of the new addition: "Paudie was always the person we expected to sign at this point. It was important for us to get Lewis, Joel, and now Paudie, because it demonstrates to the lads in the club our commitment, it demonstrates to our fans our commitment, and lets the league at large know that we're here to play.
"One of the things that I like so much about working with Joe and Noel is that we all value the same things. We want guys of strong character who bring more to the dressing room than simply the ability to kick a ball - and he does that in spades! He's a heck of a player, so the combination of the two equates to the ideal Reading player.
"I'm really looking forward to the next couple of weeks as more people are added to the club, as people begin to understand our commitment is real - we can do this with honesty, transparency and financial sustainability always at the forefront."
Fantastic
First Team Manager, Noel Hunt, commented: "Paudie is a fantastic lad and will be a big character in the dressing room, he's exactly the type of person we want at our Football Club for our rebuild. He's been a huge part of Lincoln's success over the past three years.
"We've had our eyes on him for a while, I've been a big admirer of his for some time. I knew about him when he was in the Leeds setup, and I can't wait to work with him on a day to day basis."
Limerick born O'Connor was a product of his hometown club's Academy setup, graduating into the First Team ahead of the 2015 campaign. He made 16 appearances for the Super Blues in the Irish Premier Division campaign, which would end in relegation, but would bounce back the following season as his side secured promotion in spectacular fashion, winning 24 of 28 league games and losing just once.
His form in his homeland saw him capture the eye of second tier Leeds United, with the Whites signing O'Connor for an undisclosed fee on a two and a half year deal. His initial spell at the club saw him feature for the Under 23s, before he gained his first taste of First Team action in the latter part of the 2017/18 campaign, a 90 minute performance at Elland Road against Sunderland. He followed up that impressive display with starts in the next three games, including the full 90 minutes at Villa Park.
Valuable loan experience was gained in 2018/19, firstly at Blackpool, with the centre back featuring for the Tangerines 19 times in Sky Bet League One. He scored for the Seasiders on two occasions, the second of which was a goal that halved the deficit in a 2-1 defeat at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium in the Carabao Cup.
After initially being recalled by Leeds, he moved to Bradford City on loan for the remainder of the season in January 2019. After impressing new Manager Gary Bowyer, he was handed the captain's armband for the Bantams' final three fixtures.
A permanent move across Yorkshire followed in 2019, signing a three year deal at Valley Parade. His breakout season came in 2020/21, where he made 42 league appearances, playing the full 90 minutes in all but six fixtures. He scooped the Player of the Year Award for his exploits in both 2021 and 2022, and added the Players' Player of the Year Award for the latter.
Following the expiration of his contract, he joined Lincoln City in the summer of 2022 on a three year contract. Following his first season, he was handed the captaincy at Sincil Bank, and would establish himself as a main stay and a fans favourite.
He played the full 90 minutes in three of the four ties between Lincoln and Reading in the past two seasons, so will be no stranger to his new teammates in RG2.