Share this page :
FacebooktwittermailFacebooktwittermail

When Cameron Dummigan joined Oldham Athletic from Burnley on transfer deadline day in August 2016, I have to admit to having been very surprised at the news, and  I think I’m just as surprised at yesterday’s news that has seen him leave the Latics to sign for current Airtricity League champions Dundalk.

Dummigan was named as one of the substitutes for our opening Premier League game against Chelsea in August 2014. He was highly rated and expected to be the main challenger to first team right-back Kieran Trippier. He didn’t get on that night, nor on the other occasions he was named on the bench and his season was soon lost to injury.

1516 burnley cameron dummigan 00 630x420He needed surgery that forced him to miss the bulk of that season and when Trippier left for Spurs, Dyche brought in first Matt Lowton and then Tendayi Darikwa, although the manager did say at the time that he would not have signed both of those players had Dummigan not suffered that injury.

Fit again, and impressing in the development squad, he went out on loan to Oldham, then in League One, in January 2016 until the end of the season. He played virtually all of their remaining games that season and returned to Burnley in the summer with us having been promoted back into the Premier League.

The last day of that summer’s transfer window was a busy one. We signed Jeff Hendrick from Derby while some players went out, mostly on loan. We did part company with Renny Smith, who had been with us for just a year, as Tom Anderson, Fredrik Ulvestad and Danny Lafferty made loan moves to Chesterfield, Charlton and Sheffield United respectively.

Having been made aware of those loan moves, the articles were written for Up the Clarets as was Dummigan’s return to Oldham. That was the last one to go through that day and I suddenly realised that the article had to be changed somewhat; I’d expected a loan but it was a permanent move.

I ended that article by writing: “I have to say I’m surprised at this news, I was expecting him to go out on loan. I think he’s a fantastic signing for Oldham.”

Things were going well for him until January 2017 when injury struck again in a 1-0 defeat at Shrewsbury. It ruled him out for the rest of the season and he suffered similarly last season when he didn’t play after March. This season he’s hardly featured, again having suffered injuries, but did come on as a substitute as recently as a couple of weeks ago.

With the change of management at Oldham, I thought this might be a big opportunity for him. I checked their team when they won the first game under Paul Scholes but he wasn’t in the squad. Even so, it was a surprise for me yesterday when Oldham confirmed he had left the club by mutual consent while thanking him for his services.

But the news was soon confirmed that he’d signed for Dundalk on a long term deal on the eve of the new league season. They kicked off the new season last night and drew 1-1 at home against Sligo Rovers but it was a watching brief for Cameron until his international clearance comes through.

He was a young player I picked out with some real potential when I saw him in the youth team at Burnley. Alongside left-back and fellow Northern Ireland under-21 international Luke Conlan, who is now at Morecambe, I thought we had two young players set to make it with us.

It was not the case but I do hope that Cameron Dummigan can steer clear of injuries now and do well with Dundalk.

Follow UpTheClarets:
FacebooktwitterFacebooktwitter


Share this page :
FacebooktwittermailFacebooktwittermail