TOMMY LONERGAN revealed Keith Long’s long-term interest sealed the deal — even though his loan move to Waterford came out of the Blue.
Lonergan, 21, has joined the Blues on loan from sister club Fleetwood Town for the 2025 season and enjoyed a scoring debut in last Saturday’s 3-2 win over Sligo Rovers.
Tonight, he hopes to make it two victories from two against champions Shelbourne as he gets to run out at The RSC a year after he was tipped to make the switch to Waterford.
Boss Long was keen on his services and had several bids for the then-St Pat’s ace knocked back.
Instead, it was Fleetwood who triggered a release clause that saw him move to Highbury last season.
Lonergan told SunSport: “I always had aspirations to go to England. It happened very quick.
“I had never even seen Fleetwood, didn’t know too much about it.
“But you have to go and give it a good go . . . and I’m only young so there is plenty of time to go back to England.
“At the time it happened, Pat’s had signed Ruairí Keating and Cian Kavanagh. Jon Daly said I was in his plans but I was looking at it and I just wanted to play games.”
St Pat’s were disappointed at his departure, with Long adamant at the time that Fleetwood’s move had nothing to do with Waterford.
And Lonergan quickly made an impact in League One under former Liverpool and Scotland star Charlie Adam, featuring nine times and scoring once in the 2023/24 season’s run-in — which ultimately ended in relegation.
This term, he made 11 appearances in all competitions but a recent lack of game time led him to look for a loan away from the League Two side.
And, while there were options in England, Long’s interest last year was what enticed him home.
He said: “I wasn’t playing for three months up until the transfer window. I was asking could I get a loan somewhere just to get out and play.
“There were lower League Two teams and some National League teams.
“But I didn’t know the National League. Waterford came up quite late.
“I knew Keith wanted me, that gives you confidence going into a team if the manager wants you to play.
“And moving home and having family and living so close helps. On my dad’s side, there are family near Tipperary, in Mullinahone and Carrick-on-Suir.
“I knew where I was going, I knew the manager, the players and I know the League of Ireland. And moving back near family, it was a no-brainer.”
COUGHLAN EXAMPLE
He is on a season-long loan deal, though Fleetwood have a recall option in the summer with Lonergan well aware that a good few months could see him back in England then.
That was also a selling point of the move, having seen how other players have gone from the Blues to England.
He said: “I wouldn’t say it’s a step back. It’s a place where if I’m happy and you’re happy playing football, everything will come easier to you.
“And if the chance comes again to go back over to England, I’ll be better prepared.
“I’ve seen how it can happen. Ronan Coughlan was here and went to Fleetwood. He was flying and scored 11 goals before his injury.
“I was with Ronan at Pat’s and you can see how much he developed.”
