UCD winger Neil Farrugia will turn down several Championship sides in order to remain in Ireland and join Shamrock Rovers, The Irish Independent have reported.

According to the report, Leeds, Middlesbrough and Preston had all been interested in a move for the 20-year-old, who has made 37 appearances and scored three goals for UCD in all competitions since making his debut for the club in 2017, while also taking part in a trial with Manchester City's Under 23s side earlier in his career.

It is now thought that the winger will move to Shamrock Rovers, which will allow him to complete his degree in Biomedical Science that he is currently working towards, while also giving him the opportunity to play in the Europa League with Rovers.

The Irish side have been drawn against Norwegian outfit SK Brann in the first round of Europa League qualifying, which will take place in mid July.

As well as impressing in club football, Farrugia has also caught the attention of the Republic of Ireland's national setup, having been capped by his country at both Under 19 and Under 21 level.

The verdict

Hats off to Farrugia here.

It would have been easy for a young midfielder such as him to take the big money, big club move to the Championship, but he appears instead to have taken the smarter option for his long term future.

He will be retired from football for a long time, so waiting a year to secure his qualifications in Ireland will help to set him up for his later life once he has finished playing, something which appears to be coming into focus more and more in football these days.

At just 20-year-old, Farrugia still has plenty of time to enjoy in the game, and you would imagine that the sort of interest he has received this summer will arise again in 12 months time if he continues to impress over in Ireland.