First Division POTY Phoenix Patterson signs for English League One outfit

Waterford FC have announced that League of Ireland First Division Player of the Year Phoenix Patterson has joined English League One club Fleetwood Town for an undisclosed fee.

Patterson impressed for the Blues throughout the 2022 campaign - scoring 28 goals in 58 games during his time at the RSC.

Waterford chairman Andy Pilley, who is also the owner of Fleetwood Town, said: "I’m just delighted we’ve been able to keep him in the group; We also want to have this pathway that if players are excelling in the Irish league, we want to bring them across to the English Football League and, who knows, if they do well in League One, they may find themselves in the Championship or the Premier League – that is the model and I want to shout that from the rooftops."

Patterson also told Waterford's club website: "I would like to thank all the fans, from the moment I joined and the one-and-a-half years after that, they were great with me and showed a lot of support for me and the lads on the pitch.

"The fans mean a lot to me; I will always be a Waterford fan and I’ll try and get back over in the summer when we have a break to come and see everyone because the club has been a big part of my career as it helped me become the player I am today – thank you."