Dundalk sign Irish underage striker Dillon from QPR

Dundalk FC have signed Republic of Ireland Under-21 striker Cian Dillon from Queens Park Rangers on a multi-year contract. The 20-year-old arrives at Oriel Park after a spell in England with QPR, where he featured in the club's academy and senior setup, as well as loan spells with Torquay United and Enfield Town. A native of Tallaght, Dillon came through the ranks at Shamrock Rovers before making the move to QPR in January 2025. During his time in England, he won two cups at academy level and made his first-team debut for QPR in the Carabao Cup. Dillion said he jumped at the chance to move to Oriel Park: "It all came around pretty quickly, but once I came up and got speaking to the gaffer, it was a no-brainer for me to come here. It was a straightforward decision. "My hopes for the remainder of the season are to win as many games as possible, climb up the table and help the team in every way I can. Hopefully we can go on a good cup run too, and it would be great to win the cup. That's the aim. "I've played up front since I was very young, so it's natural to me. I think I'm quite versatile. If the game is stretched and I need to run in behind, I can do that, but if it needs more link-up play and shorter combinations, I can do that too. "I work really, really hard and I think I can bring goals to Dundalk as well. That's the plan." Dillon has good memories of his time in England. "I was only over there for a year and a half, but I really enjoyed it. It was a really good experience and one that helped me a lot." Manager Ciarán Kilduff welcomed the addition after losing his two striker, Eoin Kenny and Gbemi Arubi, so far this window. "We're delighted to have Cian at the club. He's a young striker with huge potential who has already caught the eye at underage level in this country and has also made an impact across the water. "We're bringing in a player of real calibre and someone we're excited to work with. Hopefully he can hit the ground running and give us a boost for the remainder of the season." Dillon played for the U-21s against Croatia last year. He could make his Dundalk debut in Friday's league fixture away to St Patrick's Athletic. Listen to the RTÉ Soccer podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.