Mayo sporting diaspora making headlines in professional football

By Caoimhín Rowland

Members of the Mayo diaspora are making significant impacts in the world of professional football, with Irish-eligible players achieving success in both domestic and international leagues.

On Saturday evening, Galway United's Chicago-born striker, Patrick Hickey, led his team to a crucial victory at Eamonn Deacy Park. Hickey's decisive goal in the 76th minute secured a 1-0 win over Derry City, denting their title hopes and elevating Galway United to third place in the League of Ireland table.

Hickey, who recently transferred from Athlone Town, is eligible to represent the Republic of Ireland through his grandmother from Tonacrick, Lahardane, in north Mayo.

The match was notably attended by new Republic of Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson. The Icelander, who has expressed interest in organising a domestic-based Irish training camp for League of Ireland players, witnessed Hickey's third goal of the season first-hand.

Hallgrimsson’s mooted plans for a January camp, aimed at assessing players like Hickey for international duty, will depend on the FAI’s financial resources.

Across the continent in Spain, John Joe Patrick Finn made a return to La Liga action. The son of a Ballyhaunis man, Finn took to the field for Getafe on Sunday night, marking his first top-flight appearance in over three years.

The 20-year-old midfielder, who captained Getafe’s ‘B’ side in Spain's fourth tier last weekend, entered the match against Real Sociedad in the 85th minute. Despite being eligible to play for Cameroon and Spain, Finn has declared his allegiance to the Republic of Ireland, proudly embracing his Mayo heritage.

Back in England, Tom Cannon, whose roots trace back to Louisburgh and Balla, secured a transfer deadline loan move to Stoke City. Cannon had a standout stint at Preston North End during the latter half of the 2022/23 season, where he netted eight goals in 20 appearances.

Following a permanent move to Leicester City last summer, the young forward now looks to make his mark in the Championship with Stoke City.

Stoke City's Sporting Director, Jonathan Walters, a former Republic of Ireland international, expressed his enthusiasm about the signing, stating, "It's no exaggeration to say that most clubs in the Championship wanted to sign Tom this summer, so it's a huge vote of confidence that he has opted for Stoke City," Walters said.