Walsall have completed the signing of Drogheda United defender, Evan Weir, who will become the Saddlers' first new arrival of the 2024 winter Transfer Window.21-year-old, Ratoath born Weir, who has penned an initial 18-month contract, played with University College Dublin’s underage sides in 2018 and 2019 before making the step up to the first team in 2020.
Scoring four goals in 2020, including a brace in a 2-2 draw against Galway United, Evan would remain a regular for UCD in 2021 before moving to Maynooth University Town near the end of the campaign.
Along with domestic football, Evan was also involved in the Ireland Under-21 set-up, with a call-up to the provisional squad for the game against Montenegro before making the move to Drogheda in December 2021.
Making his first-team debut against Shelbourne in February 2022, he went on to make a total of thirty-nine appearances, scoring five goals along the way.
Speaking via the club's official website, Head Coach Mat Sadler admitted he's looking forward to the defender’s arrival, he said; "I am delighted to get the signing of Evan completed.
"He is someone who we have watched at length with our links to Drogheda. He will head back to Drogheda to play now for the next six months and we are looking forward to seeing his progress over that time period with them.
"He is a really good young player with a fantastic future and we were pleased to get his signature over a lot of other clubs who were looking at him.
"It’s fantastic for us to have the link we have between ourselves and Drogheda. This is the start of the link-up that we have.
"The standard of football in the Irish Premier League is a very good standard, we have seen that with the players that are coming over.
"We have seen it with Ross Tierney who we have in the building ourselves."
Weir, who was in attendance as the Saddlers defeated Wrexham on Friday evening, will immediately return to Drogheda on a six-month loan before he links up with the Saddlers in the summer of 2024.