Cardiff City striker makes loan move to League of Ireland

Sligo Rovers have signed Cardiff City striker Luke Pearce on loan for the rest of the season.

The 20-year-old Irish international joined the Bluebirds earlier this month after three years at Southampton.

Pearce also had loan spells at Torquay United and Eastbourne, having started his professional career at Walsall.

READ MORE: Ruaidhri Higgins appeals to Brandywell faithful

READ MORE: Alan Reynolds hails ‘huge coup’ in bringing another prodigal son home to Bohs

Bit O’Red boss John Russell told the club’s website: “Luke is a player I have had my eye on for some time. I feel he will bring energy and aggression to our forward line.

“He has very good movement and has the ability to score different types of goals. It’s important that we add him to our squad this window.

“There are a lot of important games coming up so securing Luke on loan is a really good deal for us.”

Pearce qualifies for the Republic of Ireland because his mother is from Sligo and he has been called up at both the under-18 and under-19 levels.

“I already know a lot about Sligo and Rovers through my mum’s family,” said the loan signing.

“It’s a really big deal for my family that I’m on loan for a while. I can’t wait to get on the pitch and play in front of the fans.

“I’m really looking forward to getting some first-team experience here and helping Rovers take off in the league and of course we have the FAI Cup coming up.”

Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email alerts