Adam O'Reilly declares he would love to negotiate new Derry City deal
ADAM O'REILLY has declared he 'would love' to stay at Derry City Football Club beyond his current deal which expires at the end of the 2026 season.
The 25 year-old Cork man has made 133 appearances since joining from Preston North End in 2023 and says it holds 'a special place' in his heart.
He's settled in Foyleside and while the club has yet to initiate contract talks with six months remaining until he's a free agent, O'Reilly is hoping the situation changes in the coming weeks.
"To be honest I haven't really thought about it," said the midfielder. "At the moment, all that's in my head is about Derry and how we're going. I know one man can't fix it but in my head I'm thinking, 'How can I fix this situation we're in and get back to where we were in the league?'
"Obviously when it comes to the last six months of your contract you do have to start thinking about things and what's happening. I haven't thought too much about it but I think it's come to the time where I do need to start thinking about what's going to happen.
"I love Derry City. I've been here four years so it has a special place in my heart. I can't tell what's going to happen in the future but I absolutely love Derry."
Mark Connolly's arrival as Director of Football will likely see the Monaghan native get involved in contract renewals alongside Tiernan Lynch in the coming weeks and O'Reilly reckons his game would benefit from getting some clarification on his future soon.
"Once you have that stability and know where you are and how long for, it takes a weight off your shoulders. So it does play a big part mentally when you go out on the pitch and stuff.
"So obviously I'd like to know more about in the coming weeks about what's going to happen." When asked if he had informal talks with anyone at the club about his contract recently, he answered: "No to be honest I haven't had any talks at all. It's been kind of quiet and with Mark coming in that could change things as well but as of right now there's been nothing.
“So, I'm just concentrating on what's happening on the pitch rather than off it until someone hopefully does speak with me."
Would he accept a new contract if it were on the table at Derry?
"Yeah, 100 per cent. I definitely think so. What's happening now is about how much I can put things right. I want to do as best I can for Derry and if that was to happen I'd be over the moon."