Shamrock Rovers striker Michael Noonan will join Nottingham Forest on a free transfer when the January window opens. The 18-year-old is out of contract at the end of the Irish season, with the Hoops set to receive basic training compensation in the low six figures for his development.
Noonan departs as the youngest scorer in UEFA Conference League history, having netted against Molde aged 16 years and 197 days on his senior debut. He scored seven goals this season in 17 starts and 11 substitute appearances for a Shamrock Rovers side currently second in the Premier Division with 56 points from 30 games. His final appearance came in a 2-0 defeat to St Patrick's Athletic last week.
Transfer background
The move follows interest from other European clubs. Noonan was close to joining Ajax and turned down a €1.8 million move to Hoffenheim before opting for Forest. The Premier League club plans to use him initially in their academy and B team setup, aiming to maintain their long-standing record of fielding an academy graduate in every first-team squad.
Contract investigation
The transfer concludes a period that saw Shamrock Rovers self-report a potential breach of third-party ownership rules regarding Noonan's contract to the Football Association of Ireland. The FAI opened an investigation into the allegations. Agent David Moss stated he acted within the rules. "I complied with all legal and regulatory requirements," Moss said.
John Martin, the FAI's director of football who was Shamrock Rovers' CEO when Noonan joined from St Patrick's Athletic, also addressed the situation. "Any agreements I made were always made in the best interest of the football club," Martin said. "No other way of looking at it."
Noonan's departure is a significant loss for Stephen Bradley's squad, which has scored 46 league goals this term. The team must now prepare for their next match against Waterford at Tallaght Stadium this Friday without their young forward.
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