The Clarets have a new Robbie B
Burnley have today confirmed that Norwich City’s Robbie Brady has been signed on a three and a half year contract for an undisclosed fee.
We’ve been linked with him for some time but it’s been another transfer, like most are, that has seen things blow hot and cold and seen interest come in from other clubs with speculation only two days ago that a Crystal Palace offer for him had been accepted.
Ahead of signing Jeff Hendrick in the last window, Stephen Ward joked that Sean Dyche had told him to keep in his ear during the international break, and Hendrick might have done just that with Brady with the pair of them best mates from the days when the pair were both still at school.
Last week, Hendrick said: “For me personally it would be brilliant to have another friend here and I think he would help the squad as well. We grew up together and I have known him since the age of seven.”
The friends are reunited although they have been international team mates with the Republic of Ireland. At club level they went their separate ways after playing for St. Kevin’s Boys in Dublin; Brady joined Manchester United at the age of 16.
He made just one first team appearance during his time at Old Trafford, coming on as a late substitute in a League Cup game against Newcastle with Michael Keane making his first United start on the same night.
By then Brady had enjoyed a season long loan with Hull City in the Championship. He spent the entire 2011/12 season there, playing against Burnley for the first time in the game at the then named KC Stadium in November of that season when we came back from two goals behind to win 3-2.
He returned in the following season on an emergency loan in November 2012 before making the move a permanent one in January and by the end of the season he’d helped them gain promotion to the Premier League.
He spent the next three seasons in the Premier League, the first two with Hull and last season at Norwich after he moved in a £7 million transfer in July 2015. His last appearance against Burnley came right at the end of his last season with Hull when we won 1-0 at the KC with a Danny Ings goal on the day our own relegation was confirmed. Brady was the player who came so close on two occasions to scoring for Hull with two free kicks that hit the woodwork.
It was during his second loan spell with Hull that he got his first call up for the Republic of Ireland, scoring and setting up two more goals in a friendly against Oman. Having played for his country at all levels from under-15 upwards, he’s now made over thirty full international appearances for his country.
It was considered a surprise that he didn’t move following Norwich’s relegation last season even though he was still just one year into his three year contract, but he’s been chased by a number of clubs and Burnley have won the day, taking our total of Ireland internationals currently at the club to three.
When news of our interest was discussed on the message board there were several posters who thought we wouldn’t be able to get him, probably the same posters who thought there was little chance of Steven Defour and Hendrick becoming Clarets.
We have got him, welcome to Burnley Robbie.
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