Aston Villa have confirmed the signing of Conor Hourihane.
The Cork midfielder joins Steve Bruce's side from Barnsley, where he was club captain. Hourihane has signed a contract with the club until the end of the 2019/2020 season.
Hourihane, aged 25, was a fan favourite at Barnsley, and was made club captain soon after joining the club. He moved to the side when in League One from Plymouth Argyle. They now lie just outside the play-off places in The Championship.
Although not capped at senior level by Ireland, Hourihane has played internationally at Under-19 and Under-21 levels. He moved to England from Cork as a youngster joining Sunderland, but he failed to make any appearances for the club.
This season he has impressed for Barnsley scoring six-times this season. His final goal for the side came in a local derby against Leeds United. Barnsley won the game 3-2.
Barnsley have released a video in tribute of Conor Hourihane after he completed his move to Aston Villa. https://t.co/BFioaRVUOS
— Newstalk Sport (@NewstalkSport) January 26, 2017
"I’m really pleased to be here", Hourihane told Aston Villa's website. "Aston Villa are a massive club and I’m looking forward to a new chapter in my career and developing further as a player under Steve Bruce."
"I would like to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone connected to Barnsley Football Club; from the owner, to the Head Coach, the backroom staff, and of course to the supporters who have been amazing to me throughout my time at Oakwell."
Aston Villa currently lie in 13th place, nine points outside the play-off positions.
Download the brand new OffTheBall App in the Play Store & App Store right now! We've got you covered!
Subscribe to OffTheBall's YouTube channel for more videos, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for the latest sporting news and content.
