Waterford FC has confirmed that Phoenix Patterson has joined English League One side Fleetwood Town for an undisclosed fee.
The 22-year-old was a fan-favourite, providing 40 goal contributions in just 58 games during his time at the RSC.
📢 Waterford FC can confirm young forward Phoenix Patterson has joined English League One side Fleetwood Town for an undisclosed fee.
More Info 👉 https://t.co/I8f5xPiiQC#WaterfordFC pic.twitter.com/JxbiYniNB3
— Waterford FC (@WaterfordFCie) December 19, 2022
An official statement read: "Following a superb spell at the club, everyone at Waterford FC felt this was the right time to allow Phoenix to progress his career with a new challenge and are delighted he will join our sister club over in England."
Speaking after the move, Patterson wanted to leave a message for everyone at Waterford: "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."
First and foremost I would like to thank everyone at Waterford. Managers I’ve worked with, the back room staff, my teammates and most importantly the incredible fans who have supported me through everything. pic.twitter.com/r27Szjllpu
— Phoenix Patterson (@phoenix_p10) December 19, 2022
Blues Chairman Andy Pilley was speaking after the player's move: "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."
Pilley also mentioned that this pathway is available for all players in Ireland and coming to the Blues would open a door to an opportunity in the Football League in England: "To all the top players in Ireland, if you want to get to England then Waterford is a great place to play because the common ownership means that, if you are good enough, and if you can deliver at Waterford and help the club to the sporting success we all long for, then you could have an opportunity to move over to England."
Best of luck, Phoenix 💙 https://t.co/ka3UYWIN3t
— Waterford FC (@WaterfordFCie) December 19, 2022
Waterford FC manager Danny Searle also moved quickly to wish Patterson luck with his move: "Congratulations on your move! I’m sure everyone will join me in wishing you the very best of luck going forward.
"From day 1, you were an absolute pleasure to work with and gave everything you had on a daily basis."
Congratulations on your move! I’m sure everyone will join me in wishing you the very best of luck going forward. From day 1, you were an absolute pleasure to work with and gave everything you had on a daily basis.
@ftfc have a special talent 🙌🏻💙💙💙 ❤️❤️❤️ https://t.co/H0ZTdfN2Uc
— Danny Searle (@Danny_Searle) December 19, 2022
Searle recently signed a new long-term contract at the club, following successful talks with the chairman.
Speaking following the announcement, he said: “I’m delighted to get this deal signed and get planning for 2023. I’m proud of the work that we’ve done since I came in during the summer but we have much more to do.
“The potential at the club is huge and that’s what we’ll be looking to reach over the coming years."
Speaking on SportsBeat Xtra with Shaun Connolly, Searle highlighted his desire to cultivate a squad that is capable of challenging for top honours this term, with immediate promotion as his goal.
You can listen back to that conversation here.
