Preston North End midfielder joins League of Ireland side Waterford on loan

The 19-year-old's loan deal will run until June 30 - the League of Ireland's season is scheduled to kick-off in March.

It is the fourth time O'Reilly has gone out on loan, with him having previously having spells with Hyde United, Stalybridge Celtic and Bamber Bridge.

His time at Bamber Bridge earlier in the season was cut short when non-league football at that level was halted by the November lockdown.

O'Reilly needs first-team football, with chances having been very limited for him at North End.

He made his debut in December 2018 as a substitute against Aston Villa at Deepdale - Ethan Walker made his bow at the same time.

This season O'Reilly has made the bench 10 times but been an unused substitute in all of those games.

Born in Cork, North End signed O'Reilly from Ringmahon Rangers - Alan Browne's former club - in December 2016.

O'Reilly is the second PNE player to go on loan to Irish football, Jack Baxter having joined Cork in January.

Like Baxter, he is in need of first-team football to help him develop his game.

With a congested midfield at Deepdale, the chances of forcing their way into Alex Neil’s plans at the moment are slim.

And with North End not having a reserve side or an Under-23s set-up, there is no chance to play competitive football.

The non-league loan route has effectively been blocked for the time being. Only the National League is currently playing, with football curtailed lower down the pyramid.

So the League of Ireland offers an alternative, one which O’Reilly and Baxter can hopefully use to their advantage over the coming months.

O’Reilly’s loan takes him through to the halfway mark of the season across the water, with there the flexibility to extend it beyond the summer.

Waterford are managed by former Everton winger Kevin Sheedy, with the club owned by Lee Power who also owns Swindon Town.

In total, Preston have eight players loaned out – Jayden Stockley, Josh Harrop, Josh Ginnelly, Josh Earl, David Nugent, Walker, Baxter and now O’Reilly.

Stockley scored his third goal in four games for Charlton in their 1-1 draw at Fleetwood on Saturday.

Left-back Earl played the full 90 minutes of Burton’s home defeat to Sunderland, with Harrop a 74th-minute substitute in Ipswich’s 0-0 draw with Oxford.

Nugent made his debut for Tranmere as a substitute in their 2-2 draw with Oldham at the weekend.

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