Keith Long has continued his squad building for 2018 with the re-signing of Dan Casey and the promotion of Jamie Hamilton, John Ross Wilson and Paddy Kirk to the Bohemians first team.
Casey, who turned 20 at the end of last month, joined Bohs in July following his release from Sunderland and made seven league starts and two substitute appearances.
A product of St Joseph’s Boys, he initially slotted in at right-back but it was at centre-back that the former Ireland U19 international excelled.
Manager Long said: “I believe Dan has a big season ahead of him. He’s played at right-back for Sunderland and Ireland as well but he’s a natural at centre-back.
“Young players will make mistakes but he will benefit from his four months in the league this year and I believe he will push on next season.
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“With Rob Cornwall, Warren O’Hora and Dan Byrne all there, centre-back is a position where we have four top players vying for their place in the team.
“Dan has the potential to go on and become one of the best young centre-backs in the league and he will benefit from having a full pre-season with us too.”
In a breakthrough year for the club’s underage teams, which saw Graham Lawlor’s U19s win the league and Jimmy Mowlds’ U17s finish runners-up in theirs, Long is keen to continue to give youth a chance at senior level.
Hamilton, who unlike Wilson and Kirk is still eligible at U19 level next year, was given his first taste of first-team football in the Leinster Senior Cup and EA Sports Cup this season.
The winger, who gave a man-of-the-match performance in the U19s’ league final win against St Patrick’s Athletic, made three first-team subsitute appearances in the league and scored his first league goal in the 3-1 win against Finn Harps on the final day of the season.
That victory also marked a first for Wilson, who made his league debut with an acomplished performance at right-back, before picking up the club’s U19 Player of the Year Award after the game.
U19 captain Kirk is yet to make his league debut but the left-back also featured in EA Sports and Leinster Senior Cup games this season.
Long said: “We’ve good young players coming through at the club as is evident with the success of our U19s and U17s.
“It’s a big step up but they deserve to be rewarded for their efforts and to be given a chance at this level.
“We’ve also retained a number of the U19 team who are still eligible for that level next season, so we believe they can continue to improve.”
It brings to 13 the number of players under contract at Bohemians for next season: Oscar Brennan, Dan Byrne, Dan Casey, Dinny Corcoran, Jamie Hamilton, John Ross Wilson, Rob Cornwall, Paddy Kavanagh, Paddy Kirk, Derek Pender, Fuad Sule, Shane Supple, Warren O’Hora.
Meanwhile, Long is one of three nominees for the PFA Ireland Manager of the Year, which will be announced at the PFA Ireland Awards Banquet on Saturday night.
It is deserved recognition for a manager who guided a team tipped for relegation to a fifth-placed finish this season.
It is the second time in three seasons that Long, who is up against Cork City’s John Caulfield and Dundalk’s Stephen Kenny this time around, has been nominated for the award.
Long added: “It’s nice to recognised for an individual award but it’s recognition for the efforts of everyone involved with the team and backroom team.”
