Former Arsenal and Cheltenham Town midfielder James Olayinka has joined Waterford FC and becomes their second signing of the off-season after Andy Boyle joined the club earlier in the week.
The 24-year-old joins the Blues after making his senior team appearance for Arsenal in their USA pre-season tour in 2019 and bagging his first goal for the club against Colorado Rapids.
Olayinka then made the move, on loan, to Northampton Town where he helped the Cobblers earn promotion to League One.
Following a loan spell at Southend United, the midfielder signed permanently with Cheltenham Town in 2022, where he played alongside fellow Waterford player Grant Horton.
Speaking on his move to the League of Ireland Premier Division club Olayinka said: "I’m very pleased to get going at Waterford. I’ve had a bit of time out [since his 2023 season finished with Cheltenham Town], so it will be good to get back playing and training every day with the squad."
Manager Keith Long said the box-to-box midfielder is someone they've been keeping an eye on since the summer:
"James gives us a slightly different profile in the middle of the park. He’s a player that has been training with Fleetwood for the last month – He’s someone we’ve looked at since the summer, and obviously coming in now gives us a different option in our midfield."
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