IRELAND defender Callum O’Dowda has joined Robbie Keane’s Ferencvaros after agreeing a deal to depart Cardiff City.
Keane swooped for the 30-year-old this week after learning that Cardiff were open to offers for the Ireland international.
The 30-year-old still had three years to run on his contract and new Cardiff boss Brian Barry Murphy wanted him to stay.
But the 32-times capped Ireland star was keen to make the switch to Budapest following Cardiff’s relegation to League One as he will now compete in the Champions League for the first time.
Ferencvaros enter in the second round and O’Dowda’s debut will likely come in that tie, against either Noah of Armenia or Buducnost Podgorica of Montenegro.
He is also the first Irish man Keane has signed in club management, having taken over Ferencvaros last January before guiding them to what was their seventh successive title.
Keane briefly played alongside O’Dowda at the tail end of his Ireland career in 2016, and then coached him in 2019 when part of Mick McCarthy’s coaching ticket.
