Wally Downes has made his fourth addition of the January transfer window by bringing in Shane McLoughlin from Ipswich Town.
The 21-year-old has left the Championship club to sign for The Dons on a permanent basis and he could be in contention for Saturday’s League One match at Sunderland.
Our manager revealed that midfielder Shane, who can play in a number of positions, including full-back, is a player he has tracked for a number of years.
“Shane is versatile and very sharp and accurate on the ball,” said Wally. “He has great energy, a superb attitude, and he fits the age bracket we want. He is the type of player that we want here. Shane has been on my radar for ages. A couple of friends I know that used to play for Ipswich told me about him quite a while ago, so I kept my eye on him. We had looked to bring him to India with us when I was out there, but that didn’t happen, and he was doing well at Ipswich. I’ve been aware of him for quite a while. He is young and hungry to do well, which is what we want, and he has a great attitude."
Born in New York, Shane moved to Ireland when he was five, and he has since represented Ireland at Under-16 and Under-18 level. His impressive form at Irish club St Brendan's Park attracted interest from elsewhere and Ipswich signed him in 2013. Shane, who has had two spells on loan at National League side Bromley, has made two first-team appearances for Ipswich with his debut coming against Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup.
During his time at Ipswich, Shane played with recent Dons signing Dylan Connolly, and he has captained Town’s Under-23s, playing in midfield, right-back, left-back, and even up front.
Shane is Wimbledon’s fourth signing in January with Dylan Connolly having joined earlier this month, along with loan signings Aaron Ramsdale and Steve Seddon. Look out later on the official website for a first interview with Shane.