Stephen O’Donnell re-signs three more Dundalk players for the 2023 season

Andy Boyle has committed his future to Dundalk FC after signing a two-year deal with The Lilywhites which will keep him at Oriel Park until the end of the 2024 campaign.

In addition to the news of Boyle’s retention, the club also announced that Peter Cherrie will play on for another season, while Paul Doyle has extended his contract until 2024.

Boyle, a 31-year-old defender once capped by the Republic of Ireland, had been attracting keen interest from Bohemians, as his contract at Dundalk was close to expiring.

However, in this his second spell, the Dubliner has opted to remain at Oriel for the foreseeable future and should easily exceed an overall tally of 300 appearances for the club as a result.

“I’m delighted to have Andy back,” said head coach Stephen O’Donnell. “From an experience and quality point of view, he is a big part of our squad and I love working with him.

“He didn’t have any pre-season this year. We had to rush him back from an operation to play against Derry City on the first night, but he still had a brilliant season and we’re looking forward to him having an even better one in 2023.

“There was a lot of interest in him, and we had to fend off a lot of other clubs. He has been one of the best defenders in this league over the past 20 years, so to get him back here for another two years is a big sign of intent.”

Meanwhile, reserve goalkeeper Cherrie will remain available for selection for at least another season, despite the veteran Scotsman turning 40 by the time his new one-year deal runs out. But third-choice stopper Mark Byrne has recently been placed on the PFAI’s transfer list.

“Peter has been brilliant this season,” added O’Donnell. “He trains like a demon every day and is in fantastic shape. Whenever he was called upon, he was exemplary, especially in the last game against Derry City at the Brandywell.

“His attitude has been exceptional and he has been a huge help to Nathan (Shepperd). I don’t think it’s any coincidence that Nathan had such a good first season because he is part of a very good goalkeeping stable, and Peter is a big part of that.”

Doyle was already signed up for the 2023 campaign, but the ex-UCD player has extended a contract which will keep him at Dundalk for the next two years at a minimum.

“We’re really excited to have Paul tied down for the next couple of seasons,” O’Donnell said of the 24-year-old midfielder.

“The progression he made from pre-season, up to when he got injured, was there for all to see. I think there is a lot more to come from him and he can develop into a talisman and a leader for the club. He has that personality.

“It can be a bit of a culture shock coming from UCD to Dundalk, but he has revelled in it, and I can only see him going from strength to strength.

“He knows the way we want to play and the way we want to go about things. I think he enjoys that part of the game, so we are looking forward to seeing him develop and blossom again in 2023.

“He sustained quite a significant injury, but he started a bit of jogging last week. We won’t be rushing him, but we’ve challenged him to get better physically over the winter, and the timeline coordinates with the start of pre-season.”

That trio of Boyle, Cherrie and Doyle will join Nathan Shepperd, Alfie Lewis, Daniel Kelly, Patrick Hoban, Greg Sloggett, John Martin, Robbie McCourt and Ryan O’Kane in the 2023 panel.

However, Brian Gartland, Sam Bone, Robbie Benson, Darragh Leahy, Keith Ward, Joe Adams, John Mountney and David McMillan are all effectively free agents at the time of writing.

Bohs target Leahy also appeared on the PFAI transfer list last week, but the 24-year-old left-back has been presented with the opportunity to prolong his career at Oriel.

Loan signings Lewis Macari and Runar Hauge have both departed the club, as has Steven Bradley, but it is understood Hibernian are looking to offload the latter come January.

In terms of new additions, O’Donnell is looking to enhance his squad, with Ben McCormack believed to be close to becoming a Dundalk player sooner rather than later.

The 19-year-old midfielder was handed his SSE Airtricity League debut in 2020 by O’Donnell at St Patrick’s Athletic, where McCormack’s current contract has expired.